New NYPD Task Force Investigates Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

NEW YORK CITY — New York Police Department detectives on Tuesday announced a new task force to help cut down on anti-Asian hate crimes in the city.

NYPD's Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said in a news conference that 21 anti-Asian hate crimes have been reported in the city since the coronavirus pandemic began in March.

"Either verbal attack or physical assault, we saw a spike in every borough throughout the city," Harrison said. "Asian New Yorkers were attacked on trains, buses, parks, restaurants and walking in their own neighborhoods."

Harrison said several of the people who were victims of hate crimes were reluctant to talk with police during investigations into the attacks, either because of language barriers, fear of police or cultural differences.

The task force announced Tuesday is made up of 25 Asian American detectives, all of whom speak a different language, Harrison said.

His goal, he said, is to "continue to build trust and understanding between the NYPD and Asian New Yorkers."

Harrison said that of the 21 hate crimes reported against Asian Americans new New York City, 17 arrests have been made. Of those, four were solved more efficiently with the help of the task force.

Harrison said he was approached in May by Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo, who asked that the task force be formed.

In the conference, Loo, who now leads the effort, said the goal of the task force is twofold: to protect Asian American New Yorkers and to drive home the department's commitment to social justice.

"Putting this task force together is about addressing many concerns," Loo said. "Not just the fear of being a crime victim, but more importantly the fear that no one cares and no one is doing anything about it — or that Asian Americans are not as important as other people."