SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento County officials held a town hall addressing public safety after targeted robberies in south Sacramento.
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper and District Attorney Thien Ho were in attendance along with around one hundred community members, expressing their frustration after recent robberies left community members second guessing where they frequent.
"One robbery is one robbery too many," said Cooper.
Many in the room, like business owner Suying Plaskett, say the attacks and robberies on individuals and businesses in the Little Saigon area must stop. She says business owners feel like their hands are tied.
"If we grab a stick and try to beat them up then they will sue us,” said Plaskett. “You tell me what we should do. I do not know."
Cooper and Ho say they empathize with the uncertainty and have increased patrols in the area.
While the violent robberies are one of their top priorities, sheriff's officials say they're seeing a 23% decrease in robberies in south Sacramento when compared to this time last year.
"It is going down and is trending down because of increased enforcement, increased patrol and increase prosecution,” said Ho. “So, the numbers are going down. But what is not going down is the increase in juvenile crimes. What we are seeing is juveniles committing more violent crimes, because simply, it is more difficult to hold them accountable."
Ho says the changes to the state laws are allowing this.
While the work continues to eliminate violent robberies. Ho says the community, especially Asian Americans must report crimes that keeps happening to them.
"Asians have been targeted because there is a perception. There is a perception we do not call the police. There is a perception we will not work with the government. There is a perception we carry cash on us. There is a perception that we are weak. That we do not speak up and stand up and honestly that needs to change and we need to change that perception," said Ho.
The sheriff's office also announced during the town hall, a third person was arrested for beating a man at the Bambu. Police are still looking for one more suspect in relation to the crime.
Officials stress people must be aware and alert of what is happening around them and to call 911 if something happens.