Policy Implementation Support
After working hard to advocate for policies, monitoring and supporting policy implementation is an important step for actualizing those victories. We prefer to work in partnership with government agencies and community-based organizations to support implementation, but we may need to operate more like a watchdog in some cases.
Examples
Transit harassment survey
A nationally representative survey conducted by Stop AAPI Hate (SAH) and NORC found that over a quarter (27%) of people who experienced anti-AA/PI hate experienced a hate act on public transit. Furthermore, non-criminal harassment was the most prevalent form of hate (85% of people who experienced hate), emphasizing the need to improve safety outside of the criminal justice system.* CAA, as part of the Stop AAPI Hate coalition, advocated for the largest transit agencies in California to collect data on harassment and demographics and to make the data publicly available (SB 434). These data will then be used to understand community needs and develop policies to prevent and address harassment. CCSJ is partnering with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to make sure its data collection includes the experiences of Asian American, immigrant, and limited English proficient community members. CCSJ educated community members about the transit safety survey, so that more people would share their experiences. Additionally, CAA held a Cantonese and Mandarin focus group for SFMTA to gain more nuanced insights into community members’ transit safety experiences.
Language access services within the police department
CAA is monitoring the implementation of SFPD’s language access policy. The police department’s community working group was making slow progress and was not adequately considering community concerns. CAA and other CCSJ members strategized on how to address these issues and worked together to provide victim-centered recommendations to SFPD. Additionally, CAA and the Language Access Network organized community members to provide public comment at working group meetings to pressure the department to adhere to the city’s new language access requirements and incorporate community concerns into their departmental policies.
Hate crimes policy within the police department
CAA and CCSJ worked together when the police department, in collaboration with the independent Department of Police Accountability (DPA), sought to update its policy and officer protocols for responding to hate crimes. This included meeting with DPA and then submitting formal comments to provide community-based recommendations on how to better serve victims of hate crimes and other hate-related incidents.
Sexual assault and harassment in schools
In response to sexual harassment and violence in schools, CAA delivered know your rights workshops to CYC staff to help them better navigate policies and advocate for their clients. The conversation on school responses to sexual violence is continuing in our engagement with the new Mayor’s Office for Victims’ Rights.
*Stop AAPI Hate. 2024. From Pain to Power: Asian American & Pacific Islander Activation in the Face of Hate. San Francisco, CA: Stop AAPI Hate.
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