HILLCREST, Calif. — The Sixth Annual LGBT+ and Law Enforcement Summit brought dozens of people to engage in a Q&A in Hillcrest. Several agencies answered the community's safety concerns as Pride Month is underway.
“We understand that we need to bridge the gap with all of our communities and we want people to know that we are your neighbors, we can talk to you, you can talk to us and create those open lines of communication so that we can ultimately keep people safe,” Federal Bureau of Investigations Public Affairs Officer Kira Boyd said.
In May, a string of drive-by pellet gun shootings in hillcrest, all near LGBTQ bars, raised safety concerns for people who consider Hillcrest a safe space.
“You would expect the hate crimes to go down but it's been quite the opposite and so definitely safety is always going to be number one priority not just for myself but anybody here,” LGBT+ and Law Enforcement Summit Attendee Sergio Mora said.
Sergio Mora lives in National City but describes Hillcrest as home away from home because of its inclusive community.
“The communication here is starting so that all the questions, all the concerns are brought up in a community where they feel safe rather than a building where they might not know where it's at or they don't know what to expect,” Mora said.
Sergio explains that events like the LGBT+ and Law Enforcement Summit are important for people to express their concerns to law enforcement directly so they can better understand what needs to be done.
The FBI urges the community to report crime to San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center at sdlecc.org or tips.fbi.gov.
WATCH RELATED: Pride by the Beach | Oceanside LGBTQ community kicks off Pride Month