Armed robberies, carjackings target Hispanic women in Durham. Are police doing enough?
A shiny pile of shattered glass sits in the parking lot outside of El Centro Hispano in the Lakewood Plaza shopping center.
It’s a grim reminder of the increasing insecurity for Nery Blandín, a community education worker at the Durham-based Latino nonprofit. Her car was broken into on Tuesday morning right outside of her job.
“I don’t feel safe,” Blandín, 50, told The News & Observer in Spanish. “I have a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear ... the Hispanic community shouldn’t be outside by themselves, and also shouldn’t be afraid to speak out, and should look for a place that can support them.”
The day before Blandín’s car was broken into, the Durham Police Department announced it was investigating a string of crimes targeting Hispanic women.
Those crimes included offenses like carjackings and armed robberies:
▪ In the residential area on 4000 Meriwether Drive, one woman was robbed at gunpoint on Sept. 3 and another woman’s vehicle was stolen at gunpoint at an apartment complex on Sept. 12.
▪ Two carjackings were reported on the 2000 and 3000 blocks of North Roxboro Street on Sept. 10 and 12, in the same neighborhood of Braggtown, where many Latino residents live.
▪ On Sept. 10, a woman reported that her vehicle was stolen at gunpoint at a shopping center in the 6000 block of Fayetteville Road in southern Durham.
No injuries were reported in these crimes.
Why victims struggle to report crimes, get help
Blandín’s money and personal documents were stolen from her car, and she said police had delayed assisting her.
Blandín is originally from Honduras and has lived in the U.S. for two decades. Like many who migrated to North Carolina from Latin America, she prefers to speak in her native language.
She laments that there aren’t enough bilingual police officers to speak to on the phone or in person. Victims are more likely to talk to police when officers can speak their native language, The N&O reported previously.
Language and immigration status are among the factors that can make people in the Latino community apprehensive about speaking out, she said.
“Firstly, there’s language barrier and second reason is racism because we’re Hispanic,” Blandín told The N&O. “They don’t listen to us, we don’t matter to them. I’d like for there to be more attention to us as Latina women.”
Reluctance to report crimes among Latino immigrant communities is common, and not all crimes are being reported to Durham police, community members told The N&O.
“They rob us because they know we’re defenseless,” she said.
El Centro Hispano, where Blandín’s car was broken into, offers help in filing police reports for victims, including translation services and legal assistance for victims, according to communications director Berenice Malagón.
A need for bilingual officers to help victims
Durham resident Victoria Tafoya immediately reported the theft of her car she had parked outside of Food Lion on Fayetteville Street on Sept. 5.
But she says police took her report and then declined to follow up with her, even after her car was found.
“Honestly, I feel helpless and paranoid,” Tafoya, 30, said in a Facebook message to an N&O reporter. “I’m moving much more careful (than) before. Being a woman is dangerous enough, but a Hispanic single mom not only do I have to look out for myself but also for my children.”
According to Tafoya, the thief left several items in her car and she never heard from police on what to do with them or if the suspect was caught.
Longtime resident Monica Rosa said people in the community shouldn’t be daunted when it comes to stepping forward to report crimes.
In 2018, Rosa reported being robbed at gunpoint and worked with a group of people who helped her obtain a U Visa, which allows some undocumented immigrants to gain legal status when they are victims of violent crime.
“You have to fight, not stay silent and not be afraid,” Rosa, 49, said in Spanish during an interview with The N&O. “When you’re an immigrant, you’re afraid to speak up. Lift your head up and speak.”
Rosa, who migrated from Uruguay more than two decades ago, emphasized that there should be more police officers, specifically bilingual officers to help victims.
The most recent report from Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews showed there were currently 122 vacancies for sworn officers within the department as of late August.
The N&O previously found that 10 local police departments offer additional pay to officers who are fluent in Spanish and have the linguistic capability to serve local Latino residents.
Last year, the city of Durham doubled the bonus to $2,000 for bilingual police officers who use written and verbal Spanish in their work.
A police spokesperson couldn’t confirm the current number of certified bilingual officers, but there were at least 30 officers on the force last year who were, according to previous reporting.
Previous robberies targeting the community
Robberies specifically targeting the Hispanic community have been an issue in different parts of Durham, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the city.
In the first two weeks of July, the Durham Police Department said it responded to at least 12 different armed robberies near Avondale Drive and Foushee Street east of downtown.
Around $33,000 worth of items were reported stolen, according to police reports. Most victims reported losing a phone and wallet but thieves also stole cars, jewelry and debit cards.
Durham Rapid Response, a grassroots organization for the Latino immigrant community that relays messages through social media, has routinely spoken out about these crimes.
Most recently, the group warned the public about young Hispanic men allegedly robbing residents at their homes.
“Latino families keep being victims of crimes and now, by our own people, be very careful!” a Facebook post in Spanish said on Sept. 1.
Last summer, a juvenile was charged by Durham police after being sought for seven armed robberies targeting Latinos in Braggtown.
Durham police offer tips to the Hispanic community
The Durham Police Department is encouraging victims to step up and report their crimes, and emphasizes that police will not ask residents about their immigration status.
On Wednesday, Hispanic Liaison officer Rut Avila and a robbery investigator with the police department met with residents of an apartment complex on Meriwether Drive, the site of two of the reported crimes with Hispanic female victims, according to police spokeswoman Crystal Price.
Avila, who conducts victim advocacy and community outreach as part of her work, handed out crime prevention tips in English and Spanish during the outreach, according to Price.
The police department released the following tips for the public:
Have your keys ready when approaching your home or vehicle.
Park in well-lit areas.
If someone is following you, do not drive directly to your neighborhood. Instead, drive to a well-lit area. If you can, drive to a police substation.
Do not walk alone in dark areas.
Refrain from carrying large amounts of cash with you.
If you are confronted, always cooperate with the robber. Your life is more important than items of material value.
Get as much information as you can about the suspect (s) and any vehicle involved, including the plate number if at all possible.
Call 911 as soon as possible after the robbery. Provide the dispatcher with as much information as possible.
Do not be concerned about your immigration status if you are a foreign national when reporting a crime. Please report all suspicious activity and crime by calling 911.
Anyone with information about the above-mentioned crimes in Durham is asked to call Investigator T. Blake at (919) 560-4440 ext. 29282 or Investigator S. Ellison at (919)560-4440 ext. 29550.
