MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — State police and other federal, state, and local agencies are cracking down on Asian American hate crimes across the United States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic after the World Health Organization reported the first case of the virus came from China.
"We are diligently monitoring any potential for hate crimes against Asian Americans, and we are tracking those," said Lt. Williams Slaton, Pennsylvania State Police.
Lt. Slaton is the commander of the state's heritage affairs section. The department monitors hate crimes in the state.
"The task force members consist of the FBI, attorney general's office, human relations commission, Anti-Defamation League, and several prominent community organizations," Lt. Slaton said.
State police sent an outreach letter to Asian American communities saying this will not be tolerated in our state, and support from local and state police is available.
To date, Lt. Slaton says there have been no reports of hate crimes against Asian Americans in the state, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening as some victims might choose to stay silent.
"There's a strong possibility that hate crimes against Asian Americans could be occurring; they are just not being reported. That's why we are hosting this call to encourage our Asian American community members to report it to us.
If you are a victim or witness to a hate crime, authorities are asking you to report it.