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LA Officials Urge Angelenos To Report Violence Toward Asian Americans
Advocates gather in Koreatown to rally against racism and violence toward the Asian American community. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
Los Angeles city officials are once again urging Angelenos to report hate crimes or harassment targeting Asian Americans.
It comes in the wake of Tuesday's shootings in the Atlanta area that left eight people dead. The majority of the victims were Asian women.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, reported hate crimes against the city's AAPI community went up by 114% last year.
But that only counts incidents that are actually taken up with the police, and civil rights advocates say the vast majority of hate crimes targeting Angelenos of Asian or Pacific Islander descent often go unreported.
City attorney Mike Feuer said it's critical for law enforcement to get involved:
"I can't emphasize enough how important that initial report is. That report is referred to our office -- once a matter is referred to our office, it's analyzed, and if it is appropriate, we will take action on issues that relate to hate."
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