Chief Steve Mylett said his department has heard from Asian Americans who are becoming targets of hate crimes and being blamed for the spread of COVID-19.

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Bellevue Police Department’s chief is asking members of the Asian American community to come forward and report any instances of harassment towards them due to the coronavirus.

Chief Steve Mylett said his department has heard from Asian Americans who are becoming targets of hate crimes and being blamed for the spread of COVID-19, but few people are filing police reports.

The chief said officers want to protect the community from this kind of harassment, but they have to know about it.

“There's no place for that in our community,” said Chief Mylett. “The bigoted comments keep them to yourself. No one person in this country is to blame for COVID-19. We are in this together. COVID-19 does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or anything else.”

The chief wants Asian Americans, or anyone else, to report any harassment or threats against them and assured it would be investigated.