As Oakland Chinatown reels from a recent string of assaults and robberies — some of them captured in stark, instantly viral video footage — merchants are testing a controversial solution: armed security guards.

A six-person foot patrol roamed along 9th and Webster streets on Tuesday morning, each guard clad in a black uniform with a tactical vest. Three of them carried expandable batons and guns in leg holsters. Volunteer ambassadors in blue jackets also thronged the area around Pacific Renaissance Plaza, a cluster of shops on 9th Street with a courtyard in the middle.

Business owners raised more than $80,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to fund the guards from Goliath Protection Group, meant to supplement a police force strained by budget cuts. Violent crime is rising throughout Oakland, with 17 homicides so far this year — up from three by this time last year. The number of slayings in Police Area 1, a swath of downtown that includes Chinatown, doubled from one to two.

Calvin Tong, owner of The Sweet Booth, an ice cream shop in Pacific Renaissance Plaza, praised the private security force as a good start.

“Look,” Tong said, nodding toward the window as he cut a thick slice of avocado for a smoothie. Outside, a guard strode through the plaza, where several businesses had boarded their windows to prevent burglaries. “You see the gun he carries?” Tong asked with a smile.

Political pressure to ramp up public safety in Chinatown has mounted since early this month, when surveillance videos of robberies and attacks began surfacing on social media. City officials rushed to denounce the violence, while in the meantime, shopkeepers began arming themselves.

On Monday night, a man, apparently a store owner, fired several rounds at someone who allegedly tried to steal a camera from a woman on 9th Street. Nobody reported any injuries, but Carl Chan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, said residents were worried the alleged perpetrator might return the next day, seeking retaliation.

Chan acknowledged that armed guards may raise concerns for some people, including police. Though the department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Police Officers Association President Barry Donelan contended it was ironic that, as Oakland seeks to cut its already-shrinking police force, “worried residents turn to armed unaccountable security guards.”

“But in my community they want it,” Chan said, referring to the businesses and senior citizens he represents. He said he believes Chinatown is a prime target because many shoppers are elderly, they tend to carry cash, and a sizable portion of the community doesn’t speak English — which makes them less likely to report crime. Some residents feared that robberies would surge during the Lunar New Year, which began on Friday.

Darrell Evans, CEO of Goliath Protection Group — the private security contractor based in Richmond — attended a rally on Saturday in Clinton Park, meant to denounce violence against Asian Americans and promote racial harmony. Evans said that, generally, he wants to see more police in Oakland.

“It’s always better when you have more people who are vigilant, looking out for things,” he said.

Mayor Libby Schaaf and Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong tried to address that problem last week by creating two positions for police liaisons to non-English-speaking communities in Chinatown and Fruitvale. Schaaf also promised to fast-track grants for more security cameras in Chinatown.

Ray Tong, a general contractor with Asian Health Services, had a different idea: donate air horns to merchants. He blasted one of the noisemakers outside a row of shops on Webster Street Tuesday, causing one bystander to shriek.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan