80-20 Educational Foundation Announces Community Watch Seeding Program to Combat Hate Crimes

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2021 (Newswire.com) - To combat the widely reported rise in anti-Asian American hate crimes, 80-20 Educational Foundation ("80-20 EF") today announced that it will spend up to $200,000 over the next 2 months to help seed Community Watch teams in ethnic communities (e.g., Korea- and Chinatowns). These teams will be modeled on innovative teams organized by local Asian American leaders.[1]

S.B. Woo, the founder and President of 80-20 EF, emphasized, "The media attention regarding anti-Asian American hate crimes is great but it may also induce copycats with bad intentions. So we urge leaders and leading organizations of ethnic communities to seriously consider setting up COMMUNITY WATCH teams quickly. 80-20 also hopes that COMMUNITY WATCH teams will become a fixture exemplifying SELF-HELP. No help is more instantly available and reliable than SELF-HELP!"

Each team will be composed of 6 to 10 members, with English and ethnic language(s) capability and a working relationship with the local police. They will be armed only by whistles, pepper spray cans, and members' own cell phones. Each patrolling member is identified by a bright sash with a team name. 80-20 will provide the sashes and whistles. For the next 2 months, 80-20 will also compensate each patrolling member $10 per hour up to 3 hours per weekend evening, provided that a responsible local organization will match the compensation.

For community leaders interested in working with 80-20 to organize such COMMUNITY WATCH teams, please contact Stephen Lin, Special Assistant to the President, 80-20 EF via stephen.lin@80-20ef.org or 925-548-3882. 

[1] For examples, see https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/03/02/bay-area-volunteers-conducting-foot-patrols-in-response-to-rash-of-attacks-on-asians.

Contact Person:  S. B. Woo, Pres. of 80-20 Educational Foundation & Lt. Governor of DE (1985-89) [302 740-0050]

Source: 80-20 Educational Foundation