Community Defense Project's Chhum Alleges Police Profiling of Asians on GoLocal LIVE

Community Defense Project's Chhum Alleges Police Profiling of Asians on GoLocal LIVE

Daniel Chhum, program coordinator of Community Defense Project joined GoLocal LIVE on Thursday and outlined incidents in which he said are indications of police profiling of Asian-Americans in Providence.

Chhum appeared on GoLocal prior to Providence community members and groups gathered outside City Hall at 5 p.m. 

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The groups said the purpose of the protest was "to confront the Providence Police Department on their targeted profiling and harassment aimed at Southeast Asians."

At the center of the controversy is the Seng family who was recently "subjected to an unconstitutional stop due to racial profiling."

According to the allegations, "On Thursday, April 4, Athan Seng, his younger sister, and his cousin were pulled over while driving on Elmwood [Avenue], though Athan committed no traffic violations. His car was immediately surrounded and searched by six police officers. The only explanation the officers gave for the stop and search was that Athan was wearing a blue shirt, which somehow transformed them into suspected gang members."

Chhum said on GoLocal LIVE that Seng was pulled over because Seng was wearing a blue shirt -- which he said police believe to be an Asian gang color.

“The first thing they asked me for was a weapon,” said Seng, who was driving the vehicle and had no weapon -- just his laptop and schoolwork.

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According to Chhum, the incident is the latest in a series of reports coming from community members continuing to be harassed by officers of the Providence Police Department despite the passage of the Community Safety Act (CSA) in June 2017. The CSA (also known as the Providence Community Police Relations Act) was created to limit police practices that tend to target vulnerable communities as well as create an accountability process for when police officers violate community members’ rights, said Chhum.

“I wasn’t there that day to defend my children but I’m here today to speak up about what happened,” said Sian Seng, Athan’s mother in a statement. “I want an answer, a real reason why my family was put through such a devastating experience.”

“Police violence has been happening for years, especially in the Southeast Asian Community. Not to mention that this same community is being impacted by deportation notices which place them in danger of being separated from their families," Chhum said. “Police violence needs to end now! We need alternatives to redefine community safety without the police.”

The protest at City Hall was organized by the Community Defense Project, a program at the Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM), who is working with the Seng family to get their demands met. The groups' list of demands includes a full investigation into this incident, as well as an apology to the family for their experience.