Police ask Asian Americans for help

Since at least November, police have investigated 15 cases in which organized criminals targeted Asian American business owners in the Philadelphia area, often following them home and robbing them at gunpoint.

Yesterday, law enforcement officials urged Asian Americans to call 911 if they fear they are being followed, and to report crimes to the police. Police also asked community organizers to spread the word that authorities will not try to have a crime victim deported.

"We're not about going after illegal immigrants. We're not about going after illegal cash funds," State Police Capt. David Young said. "I'm trying to save lives. . . . I'm asking the community to trust us."

Area law enforcement agencies and the FBI held a meeting at the Marple campus of Delaware County Community College, where they gave details on the attacks on Asian Americans and offered tips on how people can protect themselves.

About two dozen people, mostly Asian Americans involved with community outreach groups in Philadelphia and surrounding counties, attended the meeting. Those interviewed said there was fear among Asian American business owners, some of whom are asking how to obtain gun permits.

"You don't think people are going to follow you to your house, but that's what people are doing here," said Douglas Rhee, a pharmacist who also chairs a Korean American group that has advised Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green.

"Are they easy targets?" asked Rahat N. Babar, a lawyer who is part of the community-outreach committee of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania. "These are some of the questions we now are grappling with."

Police say some suspects believe Asian American business owners carry large sums of money or stash cash in their homes because they don't use banks, an assertion some of the community coordinators say is false.

But perception is reality for a thief, Young said.

"Whether that's true or not, it doesn't matter," he said. "It's what the criminal element believes. It's what they're acting on."

Most of the targeted robberies occurred in Southwest Philadelphia, but at least five have been reported in Delaware County. Last week in Montgomery County, Robert Chae, 58, a well-known Korean American businessman, was killed at his Montgomery Township home when three men met him in his driveway and stabbed him.

Most of the crimes have occurred Wednesday through Saturday between 6 p.m. and midnight, with a few taking place between 1 and 3 a.m., Young said.

The perpetrators often followed the victims to learn their patterns, sometimes even calling their businesses to find out when they close.

"They're choosing their victims, then they're watching their business, they're watching your activities, they're watching your house," Young said. "We can lock up for stalking if we get the proper information. Now, it's going to take a phone call."

Police have charged eight men with 12 of the crimes. The murder of Chae remains under investigation, as do home invasions in Marple and Collingdale.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is reviewing the cases and might bring federal charges, including charges under hate-crime statutes, against some of the men, Green said.