SMART to Monitor Investigation, Facilitate Community Outreach Richmond, CA–In response to recent shootings of two Sikh cab drivers in the Bay Area, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national Sikh civil rights organization, recently facilitated a meeting between local and federal law enforcement officials, elected representatives, and cab drivers. Following the meeting, SMART was able to confirm good faith and diligent efforts by the Richmond Police Department regarding the cab driver shootings. The police are aggressively pursuing leads in the July 2 murder of Gurpreet Singh and the July 5 shooting of Inderjit Singh. The city of Richmond has announced a reward of $2,500 for tips leading to arrests in the shootings. El Sobrante Gurdwara has matched the city’s reward. Following the meeting, the Richmond police agreed to send officers to the El Sobrante Gurdwara to train cab drivers on how to effectively relay emergency calls to local police. Additionally drivers will be trained on how to deal with confrontational situations. Based on the cab drivers’ requests, city officials promised to consider the cab drivers’ suggestions for installing video cameras and glass partitions in cabs. Local law enforcement officials also agreed to consider new taxicab safety regulations to address safety concerns. Attendees at the multi-jurisdiction meeting included Richmond Police Chief Joseph Samuels, County Supervisor John Gioia, Department of Justice Representative Booker T. Neal, and El Sobrante Gurdwara President Harpreet Singh Sandhu, who was there on behalf of the local cab drivers seeking the Sikh community’s assistance in response to the shootings. SMART also discussed conducting awareness and protocol training it has conducted nationally with the Department of Justice to provide law enforcement officials with the necessary background and strategies to more effectively work with the Sikh community. Over thirty South Asian cab drivers, many of whom were Sikh, met at the El Sobrante Gurdwara in advance of the multi-jurisdiction meeting to express their concerns and develop an agenda for the meeting with city officials and law enforcement. Chief Samuels said he is hiring more dispatchers and officers, and invites Punjabi speaking applicants to apply for these positions. If you or someone you know is interested in working as a dispatcher or in joining the Richmond Police, please contact SMART at 202-393-2700. SMART will continue to update the community about the investigation and community relations efforts.
Multi-Jurisdiction Meeting Held to Address California Sikh Cab Driver Shootings
SMART Collaborating with Bay Area Sikh Community, Law Enforcement to Address Cab Drivers’ Concerns Washington, DC— Following two violent crimes against Bay Area cab drivers last week, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) has been coordinating efforts with the local Sikh community to provide the victims’ families assistance. SMART has also been in direct contact with local and federal authorities and is monitoring the investigation of both shootings. The Sikh community, along with local, state, and federal civic and law enforcement officials will gather this Sunday, July 13, to memorialize the life of Gurpreet Singh. (Details about the memorial service are listed below.) Singh, a 23-year-old Sikh cab driver, was shot to death early July 2 as he attempted to pick up a fare. The Richmond Police Department have not classified the murder as a hate crime and have yet to determine a motive. Another cab driver, Inderjit Singh, 29, of El Sobrante was shot in the jaw on July 5 when he responded to a call from his dispatcher. The victim of this shooting, who is unrelated, survived and has since been released from the hospital. Gurpreet Singh worked as a cab driver since coming to the United States five years ago. He was intending to return to India in October to get married. SMART, along with the Sikh community nationwide, extends its prayers to the family of Gurpreet Singh.
Group Fears Civilian Backlash following INS Round-up Washington, DC — Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national Sikh American advocacy group, expressed deep concern about the detention of Middle Eastern immigrants in Southern California last week. SMART’s Executive Director, Navtej Khalsa, questioned the effect of these actions on the relationship between immigrant communities and law enforcement officials. “We understand the need to prevent against any potential future terrorist attacks,” said Khalsa, “but these mass detentions following short deadlines will increase fear amongst immigrant communities who will distrust the government. I also worry that some civilians who witness the government-sponsored round-up will act violently on their prejudices to target Arabs, Muslims, and those who appear to belong to these groups, such as Sikh Americans.” On December 16, the INS detained hundreds of Middle Eastern men as they tried to comply with the requirement that males over the age of 16 years from five Middle Eastern countries who had been admitted as non-immigrants report to the INS to be fingerprinted and interviewed. Instead of registering their presence with the INS, an estimated 500 – 1,000 of these individuals have been placed in detention and are being put into deportation proceedings. The Los Angeles Times stated that up to one-fourth of those who attempted to register were jailed in Los Angeles. Many of the individuals detained were in the process of adjusting their status in the U.S. SMART strongly condemns this new INS registration requirement for non-immigrants as a discriminatory form of ineffective national origin profiling. Furthermore, SMART believes the Department of Justice, which prosecutes national-origin-based discrimination, is practicing such discrimination itself. SMART also considers these registration requirements a form of involuntary detention without the use of actual internment camps. SMART joins the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and others in opposing alien registration policies that clearly discriminate on the basis of national origin and is a form of racial profiling.
Washington, DC – The killing of Sikh San Francisco cab driver, Sukhpal Singh Sodhi, in the early hours of Sunday, may not be a hate crime, San Francisco Police Detective Joseph Toomey told Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) on Tuesday. According to Detective Toomey, the shooting took place in what he calls a known Latino gang neighborhood, four blocks away from where the victim’s car came to a stop. At the site of the shooting were bullet holes in another parked car and in a nearby wall. He said there was also a fresh pool of blood with a trail running along the sidewalk. The blood was not of the victim, he said. Detective Toomey said it is entirely possible that Sodhi may have been dropping off or picking up a fare, or driving by when the shooting took place. At this time he said the police department cannot determine if this is a hate crime and is actively continuing its investigation of the crime as a homicide. Also, robbery has been ruled out as a motive since the victim had a large sum of money on him following the incident. The detective said the chief of police is aware of the interest in this case and has been briefed on it. Sodhi was the brother of Balbir Singh Sodhi, who was murdered in a hate crime in Arizona in the aftermath of 9/11. Earlier SMART had contacted and urged the FBI and the Department of Justice to investigate the killing as a possible hate crime particularly after the city’s police department prematurely concluded that it did not seem to be a hate crime. A joint press conference led by SMART and other Sikh American organizations will be held in San Francisco at noon tomorrow followed by a memorial service at the local El Sobrante gurdwara (Sikh place of worship).
SMART urges the Sikh communities in California to call the office of the San Francisco Mayor and Police Department Washington, DC – Sukhpal Singh Sodhi, a San Francisco cab driver, was murdered in the early hours of Sunday August 4, while driving home. Sukhpal Singh was the brother of Balbir Singh Sodhi, who was murdered in Arizona in the aftermath of 9/11. Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national Sikh advocacy group, contacted the FBI and urged it to investigate the killing as a possible hate crime. SMART is very concerned by news reports quoting San Francisco Police Department detectives as saying, “the investigation is in the preliminary stage,” and who also simultaneously concluded that “we don’t believe this is a hate crime at all.” These statements indicate that the police department has unfortunately concluded that Sukhpal Singh’s murder is not a hate crime prior to conducting an aggressive and complete investigation. SMART would like to see those responsible for this crime brought to justice irrespective of their motives. However, SMART urges the Sikh communities in California to write or call the office of the San Francisco Mayor and Police Department and urge them to fully investigate this killing as a possible hate crime. Willie L. Brown, Jr., Mayor City Hall, Room 200 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, CA 94102 Phone: (415) 554-6141 Fax: (415) 252-3107 (TDD) Email: damayor@sfgov.org San Francisco Police Department Public Affairs Office 850 Bryant Street San Francisco, CA 94103-4603 Phone: (415) 533-1651 Fax: (415) 553-1554 Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call the San Francisco Police Department’s homicide division at (415) 431-2127. SMART will keep the community informed about any developments in this case and on the progress of the investigation. About SMART: Founded in 1996 to promote the fair and accurate portrayal of Sikh Americans and the Sikh religion in American media and society, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, member based organization. Its mission is to combat bigotry and prejudice, protect the rights and religious freedoms of Sikh Americans, and provide resources that empower the Sikh American community.