HomeMy WebLinkAboutA- 3 Suspected Hate Crimes in Azusa s
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AGENDA ITEM: STAFF UPDATES
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Manager Rick Cole.
Interim Police Chief Bob Ga is 00"-yr
DATE: October 2"d, 2000
SUBJECT: Suspected Hate Crimes in Azusa
RECOMMENDATION:
Support the following five points:
1 . Recognize a pattern of attacks on African-Americans that has taken place in
Azusa fit the profile of hate crimes;
2. Support the Police Department's aggressive efforts to solve these crimes and
apprehend those responsible;
3. Offer a substantial reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction
of the murderers of Gejuan Sallee;
4. Convene an informal community task force to advise the Council on additional
steps that can be taken locally to address racism and hatred;
5. Reiterate the public position taken by City and community leaders that Azusa is
a multicultural, inclusive community where there is zero tolerance for hate
crimes and a united concern for protecting the safety of all residents and
visitors.
BACKGROUND
Last year, fire bombings took place against three residences in Azusa, all occupied by
African-American families. In July, Covina resident Gejuan Sallee, also an African-
American, was gunned down in the parking lot outside an auto parts store in Azusa by
unidentified assailants, the only homicide in Azusa this year. Individually and as a
pattern, these crimes have outraged neighbors and the residents of Azusa and been a
top priority for the law enforcement resources of the Azusa Police Department.
Despite aggressive and continuing efforts, these crimes remain unsolved.
Having pursued all open leads in the homicide of Gejuan Sallee and having blanketed
the area of the shooting with requests for assistance, as well as appealing to the
community through the print media for assistance, the Police Department has
recommended a substantial reward be offered in that case. With the permission of
the victim's family, we have applied to the Governor's office for funding of a $50,000
reward in this case. A $1000 check toward such a reward fund has been received
from Edward Jackson, the concerned resident who addressed the last City Council
meeting. We recommend Council authorization to use General Fund and/or other
community fund-raising to supplement whatever funding is authorized by the
Governor's office up to the level of $50,000.
While Police intelligence indicates that some or all of these suspected hate crimes are
most likely the work of a small group of hard-core gang members as part of a larger
criminal conspiracy, Azusa leaders have consistently recognized the larger patterns of
ethnic tensions that exist in our community. In Southern California, most
communities are actively grappling with these challenges, each in their own way,
including those recently in the news such as Duarte, El Monte, Glendale, Diamond Bar
and San Fernando. Last year, we enlisted the active assistance and advice of the Los
Angeles County Human Relations Commission, particularly in the effort launched in
the wake of the series of incidents in a single neighborhood, to mobilize all neighbors
to work together to protect the neighborhood and all its residents. Since that ongoing
effort was launched, no further incidents have taken place in that area.
A community task force, working with the City Council and the Police Department,
can bring together citizens and leaders from our neighborhoods, churches, schools
and businesses to develop a wider strategy for addressing racism and hatred in our
community. With continuing assistance from the Los Angeles County Human
Relations Commission and other outside resources, such a group could be appointed
to look at strengthening what we are already doing as well as pursuing new
approaches to overcoming ethnic friction. Certainly the values of multi-cultural
diversity and working together across ethnic lines have been guiding principles for our
Citizen Congress and Neighborhood Improvement Zone efforts. As a community,
Azusa embraces diversity and stands together with a zero tolerance for hate crimes.