Forum to Explore How to Cope in Riot : Preparedness: Organizers aim to educate residents without raising fears about possible reactions to verdict in King beating case.

Although the San Gabriel Valley emerged relatively unscathed from last April’s riots, community organizers are planning a forum where anxious residents and merchants can learn how to prepare for another civil disturbance.

Dubbed “San Gabriel Valley Shield: An Emergency Preparedness Forum,” the April 3 event is designed to walk a fine line: educating worried residents while staving off hysteria as the federal trial in the Rodney G. King beating case nears a verdict.

Organizers say the community forum will focus purely on the practical questions that arise in any major disturbance, but some who plan to participate see it as an opportunity to examine the San Gabriel Valley’s own issues of ethnic conflict.

The idea for the forum originated with the Chinese American Coalition, a fledgling organization that has worked to help those among the county’s Asian community who lost loved ones and businesses during last year’s rioting.

Although the forum’s sponsoring organizations are predominantly Asian-American, organizers are hoping for a broad-based event. Representatives from the NAACP Pasadena Chapter and Latino community leaders and business associations have been invited. Also, area city council members and law enforcement officials, representatives from chambers of commerce, and school board officials throughout the western San Gabriel Valley plan to attend the forum at Rosemead’s Community Center, organizers said.

“A lot of people have talked to us throughout the past year and said they didn’t know what to do, or who to contact (during the riots). So we think it’s very timely,” said David Ma, a co-founder of the Chinese American Coalition and a forum organizer.

A Monterey Park woman with a family grocery business in Long Beach sent two of her sons to check on the business, and one was killed on the way, Ma said. An educational forum could help prevent similar tragedies, he said.

“Property is not that important compared to a life. They have to be aware: Don’t venture out to risk your life,” he said.

But Ma and others are quick to add that the San Gabriel Valley suffered little in last year’s disturbances. The forum is designed to put the minds of residents and merchants at ease by answering their questions.

“We don’t want to create hysteria about this new trial. Of course, we cannot disassociate our thoughts from the last riot. Because of the last riot we think we should be more prepared,” Ma said.

“We organized (the forum) with last year’s riot in mind, but we are not thinking that another riot is imminent. We just think everyone should learn how to protect themselves during any civil disturbance.”

Although Alhambra has opted to focus on its own community education campaign rather than attend the event, the forum has met with broad support. Police departments from El Monte and Monterey Park and the Sheriff’s Department plan to send representatives.

Chambers of commerce from Rosemead, Monterey Park, Temple City, and San Gabriel and elected officials from Monterey Park and South Pasadena have volunteered to take part. And community groups--including several Chinese organizations, an Indo-American umbrella group and United Way--also plan to attend, said Louis Kuan, an Alhambra businessman and another forum organizer.

“I’m a businessman in Alhambra, close to Los Angeles. Thinking back to last April, I thought we were very, very fortunate not to have some of the same devastation,” Kuan said. However, the federal trial, in which four Los Angeles Police Department officers are accused of violating King’s civil rights in the 1991 beating incident is “a possible flash point for civil unrest,” he said.

“Irrespective of the outcome of the trial, we owe ourselves preparation beforehand,” Kuan said. “We would want to know where to tune in for information. I want to know in a practical term, how do we padlock our doors or board up our stores, or is this totally unnecessary? Should we prepare just as we prepare for an earthquake, or something different?”

The forum will generate a report that will be distributed to businesses and residents through participating chambers of commerce and school districts, Kuan said.

“It’s worth it to me because I know that my business will be somewhat protected,” Kuan said. “It’s a deterrent. It’s absolutely a deterrent--for people to know that if you’re even thinking about coming to these cities, don’t even think it. The best way to fight a battle is not having one.”

Some see the forum as a way for Asian-Americans to contribute to the larger situation by calling for calmness, said Govind Vaghashia, president of the Federation of Indo-American Assns. of Southern California, an umbrella organization representing about 150,000 Indians in Southern California--about 3,000 of them in the San Gabriel Valley.

“We would just like to educate our people, in case something happens: ‘Just stay home, don’t get too much panic. And if there is some violence, don’t use a gun or anything like that. Call the police, and don’t take the law in your hands,’ ” he said.

Vaghashia said that the effort is preventive and that Indian business owners in the San Gabriel Valley don’t anticipate any problems.

Law enforcement officials have been working for months to prepare for possible unrest, said Capt. Bill Ankeny of the El Monte Police Department, which is hoping to buy gas masks, tear gas and night-vision equipment and contract the services of a helicopter before the verdict is handed down.

Although Ankeny said his department welcomes the opportunity to assure residents that law enforcement is prepared for potential unrest, some forum participants worry that the event might highlight anxieties rather than dispel them.

“I am concerned. Everybody knows after the verdict comes there could be some kind of violence. Will this kind of San Gabriel Valley Shield (forum) create a panic in the community?” asked South Pasadena City Councilman Paul Zee, who will participate. “My response is a kind of mixed feeling. I think the basic concept is good--nothing more than educating the people: ‘Don’t be panicked. We should handle this kind of situation logically rather than emotionally,’ ” he said.

Others see the forum as an opportunity to explore the ethnic tensions that already exist in the west San Gabriel Valley, tensions that have been highlighted by recent Asian-Latino violence at local schools.

“We didn’t have a single incident related to the riot, so I think that this is mainly a way of communicating about larger issues,” said Monterey Park City Councilwoman Judy Chu, who also participates in a valley-wide, inter-ethnic task force.

“Given our track record of the previous year, I don’t think we would have massive civil unrest (when the federal trial ends). But I do think we have an ongoing issue with inter-ethnic tension,” she said.

The Forum

What: San Gabriel Valley Shield: An Emergency Preparedness Forum.

When: April 3, 2 p.m.

Where: Rosemead Community Center, 3936 North Muscatel Ave., Rosemead, behind the public library.

Information: Jann Talarico: (818) 280-3864.