Peaceful activists patrol Flushing to prevent hate crimes

The newly formed Main Street Patrol walks the streets of Flushing and is prepared to intervene in the case of an attack or discrimination.  Photo courtesy of Main Street Patrol

By Rachel Vick

With anti-Asian hate crimes on the rise nationwide, a brutal attack on a woman in Flushing hit especially close to home for Teresa Ting.

Ting spent her childhood years around the neighborhood and said she saw her own family at risk.

“It was like my second home, I felt like that could have been my mother if it was the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Ting, who now lives in Forest Hills. “I couldn't just sit there and be passive anymore.”

She sought to channel her anger and fear into something productive and decided to form a group of volunteers to patrol Main Street and intervene to stop attacks or other dangerous situations if needed.

Five people responded to a call to action she posted on social media in February, each saying they would be open to patrolling the community.

That first batch of volunteers quickly blossomed into the Main Street Patrol, a group that now counts 60 members

Ting said she was inspired by efforts she saw in California, like volunteer groups who escort older adults at risk of attack or theft.

She said the Main Street Patrol is rooted in the idea of combatting the bystander effect. By training members to engage nonviolently and de-escalate situations, they work to build community awareness and prepare people to react to problems.

“If the public had more access than a lot of these incidents would [be] intervened,” Ting said. “I just wanted to bridge that gap. People think, ‘Oh it's dangerous,’ but there are so many strategies and methods — we don't want members to get into physical altercations.”

Volunteers are thoroughly screened to ensure they have good intentions and sound judgement before they head out in shifts of two or three. Some people who live outside New York City, and even outside the state, have pitched in to provide behind-the-scenes support, like scheduling  and social media.

Ting said the group focuses on the busiest streets in Flushing during the busiest periods of the day, when incidents could happen under the cover of crowds. 

For now, patrols are only on weekends because many volunteers work full time. Ting said she hopes to expand the service and praised the dedication of the group members. 

“I was moved by the amount of people who reached out and said, ‘I'm in this with you,’” she said.

Anti-Asian hate crimes surged last year, accounting for 10 percent of all bias crimes in New York City, THE CITY reported earlier this month. The NYPD recorded nine times more anti-Asian bias crimes in 2020 than the previous year — 27 last year compared to three in 2019.

Ting said her goal is to change the narrative of what individuals can do to help, and that starts in the community.

“It's about people learning to come together and be there for each other, not just waiting for the government to do things,” Ting said.

“Those can help but at the end of the day it's about that human connection and regardless it's important for us to step up for each other,” she added. “In the long run [government action] is almost a band aid, whereas it has to come from the majority, the people, the democracy.”