PH, US police officials ensure safety of Pinoys vs hate crime
OFFICIALS of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC and the Metropolitan Police Department recently met to discuss the programs and activities of the capital city’s police force for the safety and welfare of the Filipino community.
Philippine Consul General Iric Arribas sought an audience with Captain David Hong of the Special Liaison Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department due to the increasing hate crime incidents against Asians in the US.
During the meeting, Arribas was told that the Police Department created an Asian Liaison Unit to focus on the public safety needs of the Asian community.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has said the number of hate crimes reported against Asian and Black people sharply increased in 2020.
Hate crimes targeting people of Asian descent increased by 70% last year compared with the number of such incidents in 2019, it said.
Arribas advised Filipinos and Filipino-Americans to call 911 for a crime in progress or just visit a local Police Department district station if they have been a victim, know of, or have witnessed a hate crime in the United States.
In Washington DC, Filipinos may call the Hate Crimes Voicemail at (202) 727-0500, which allows individuals in the District to provide information regarding hate crimes anonymously, if they wish. Following your report to local authorities, you can call and inform the Embassy at (202) 368 2767.
