Chinatown safety patrol: Victim speaks out as
community fights back against Asian hate crimes
BY DEAN MOSES
The newly established
Chinatown Public Safety
Patrol, candidates
running for council offices, and
the victim of a recent subway
attack held a rally at the site
of the xenophobic assault on
Sunday afternoon.
A large banner reading
“Stop hate crimes” was fixed to
the entrance of the East Broadway
F train station by Rutgers
Street just before 1:30 pm by
a new Public Safety Patrol,
established to help keep the
community safe amidst a wave
of racially motivated attacks.
As a small crowd gathered,
speakers—consisting mostly of
city council candidates—joined
Teoh Ming Soon, the victim of
an unprovoked attack to both
denounce hate crimes and to
ask community members to
look out for one another.
According to Edwin
Wong—candidate for New
York City Council District
29—many crimes, especially
The Chinatown Safety Patrol aims to combat the rash of
hate crimes in the community over the past year.
racially motivated attacks, go
unreported, and in turn unpunished,
due to language barriers.
Wong believes that hate crime
statistics are far larger than registered
and is therefore calling
on victims to report any crime
they face and not to be afraid to
come forward.
Soon certainly showed he
was not afraid. On what was
to be his last day at work after
losing his job to the COVID-19
pandemic on March 2nd, a
man wearing a red balaclava
waited for Soon to pass before
unleashing a flurry of elbows
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
and wild punches. This brutal,
unprovoked attack left the Malaysian
immigrant unconscious
and badly bruised. Still, Soon
believed he needed to speak out
and raise awareness.
“If you become a victim of
a crime, you must report it to
the police. Without reporting,
there will be more victims,”
Soon said with the help of a
translator.
Soon also described that
his attacker remained silent
throughout, giving no indication
for the outburst. Although
the man who left him
hospitalized did not speak out,
Soon says he will, “The most
important thing is to not be
silent. You must voice your situation.
If we do not say anything,
we will continue to be the silent
minority,” Soon said.
Despite still sporting a black
eye, Soon added that he is not
frightened to come forward.
Fellow speakers at the rally
echoed the man’s sentiment:
“Report the crimes.” In addition
to reporting, Christopher
Marte, candidate for New York
City Council District 1 says it
is also incumbent on fellow
residents to aid each other in
this uncertain time.
“Encourage your friends,
encourage your neighbors. If
you see anyone with injury, be
a supportive person for them to
communicate with. We won’t
stop this if we don’t know
where it is happening and who
is conducting it,” Marte said.
To find out more or to
join the patrol, you can visit
their Instagram account @
public_safety_patrol.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson officially
launches last-minute bid for Comptroller
BY DEAN MOSES
With little more than
three months to
go before the June
22 primary, City Council
Speaker Corey Johnson officially
threw his hat into the
city comptroller’s race — and a
serious wrench into the overall
campaign.
On March 9, Johnson made
his official announcement on
the southwest corner of Madison
Square Park, months after
he pulled out of the mayoral
election.
Johnson says he has but
“one mission” for the office, if
elected: “to better the lives of
New Yorkers.”
“I promise to be your voice
when you are knocked down
and can’t speak. To be the
champion for the most vulnerable
because I’ve been there.
I’ve lived it,” he added.
Johnson’s pitch for Comptroller
heavily involved his
track record of accomplishments
and work as Speaker
for City Council, emphasizing
that he has led the City Council
through several budget and
oversight work. He says that
he will be the watchdog of city
agencies.
“I will be a strong and independent
Comptroller who uses
all of the powers of the office to
kick start New York’s recovery.
I’m going to make sure that
every single dollar that we get
for COVID relief is targeted
directly to our recovery and to
New Yorkers who need it the
most,” Johnson said.
Despite his late entry into the
comptroller campaign, Johnson
had already secured the support
of numerous colleagues in
government who were on hand
for his announcement.
“Now that we are leaving
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson launched his bid to
become the city’s next comptroller on March 9, 2021.
the City Council at the end
of this year, and in the next
few months, the voters of the
City of New York will have an
opportunity to vote for a new
administration. A new mayor,
a new public advocate running
for reelection, and equally as
important a comptroller for
the City of New York. It is my
honor and privilege to fully and
firmly endorse my good friend,
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
Corey Johnson to become the
next Comptroller of the City
of New York,” said Bronx
City Councilwoman Vanessa
Gibson.
Johnson’s supporters listed
his previous work on reducing
overcrowding in the public
school system, investing in
infrastructure, building and
providing sustainable housing,
and more.
Brute sought for
kicking 5-yearold
boy off his
bike during
Washington
Square Park ride
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
Pick on someone your own size!
A jerk who kicked a 5-year-old
boy’s bicycle and knocked the
youngster to the ground for no apparent
reason at Washington Square Park
last month remains on the lam, police
reported.
The NYPD released on Thursday
night images of the tough guy wanted
for the Feb. 26 incident, which took
place at about 5:08 p.m. inside the
Greenwich Village greenspace.
Law enforcement sources said the
kindergarten-aged boy was riding
through Washington Square Park
with his mom following along when
the brute approached and kicked the
youngster’s bike. The kick caused the
youngster to fall off his ride, though he
wasn’t seriously injured.
Moments later, authorities said, the
brute decided to kick the boy’s bike a
second time as the victim and his mom
walked out of the park. The boy was
not on the bike when the second kick
happened, cops said.
The incident was later reported to
the 6th Precinct.
Police did not provide a detailed
description of the suspect. He was last
seen walking eastbound on Washington
Square South from Thompson Street.
Anyone with information regarding
his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers
at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial
888-57-PISTA). You can also submit
tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com,
or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls
and messages are kept confidential.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NYPD
44 MMaarrcchh 1 111, ,2 2002211 SScchhnneeppss MMeeddiiaa
/nypdcrimestoppers.com