Asian American groups, Las Vegas police call for unity at briefing

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Spring Valley Area Command Capt. Nick Farese speaks during a press conference to discuss the safety concerns by people in the asian community amid recent acts of violence around the country, at the China Town Plaza in Las Vegas, Thursday, March 18, 2021. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco

Sonny Vinuya, president of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce, speaks during a press conference to discuss the safety concerns by people in the asian community amid recent acts of violence around the country, at the China Town Plaza in Las Vegas, Thursday, March 18, 2021. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco

Community advocate Dr. Rozita Lee speaks during a press conference to discuss the safety concerns by people in the asian community amid recent acts of violence around the country, at the China Town Plaza in Las Vegas, Thursday, March 18, 2021. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco

Community advocate Dr. Rozita Lee speaks during a press conference to discuss the safety concerns by people in the asian community amid recent acts of violence around the country, at the China Town Plaza in Las Vegas, Thursday, March 18, 2021. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco

Las Vegas police and Asian American organizations addressed safety concerns in a press conference Thursday afternoon following the recent killings of eight people at massage parlors in Georgia.

“As a police agency, we stand in solidarity with our Asian American community,” said Capt. Nick Farese of the Spring Valley Area Command. “We are committed; we will not let any community get targeted.”

Farese said Metro plans on stepping up patrols and increasing police presence in the Chinatown area.

“It’s time to build cultural unity,” said Sonny Vinuya, president of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce. “With unity, there’s also victory.”

Robert Aaron Long, 21, has been charged with murder in the Tuesday night attacks in the Atlanta area. Six of the people killed were identified as Asian, and seven were women.

Contact Mya Constantino at mconstantino@reviewjournal.com. Follow @searchingformya on Twitter.