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Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey

((AP Photo/Steven Senne, File))

BOSTON - Citing reports of harassment and intimidation of racial, ethnic and religious minorities in the days after the presidential election, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on Monday launched a hotline to allow people to report those types of incidents.



"In Massachusetts, we will protect people's rights, fight discrimination and keep people safe," Healey, the state's top prosecutor, said in a statement. "There are reports from around the country following the election that people have been targeted and subjected to conduct that imperils safety and civil rights."



The hotline for Massachusetts residents, staffed by attorneys and workers in Healey's office, allows them "to report bias-motivated threats, harassment, and violence," Healey said.



According to Time.com, "states across the country have seen increased incidents of racist or anti-Semitic vandalism and violence, many of which have drawn directly on the rhetoric and proposals of President-elect Donald Trump."



Over the weekend, police in Natick are investigating threatening letters left on a doorstep, the MetroWest Daily News reported.



Earlier this year, two brothers were sentenced for beating a homeless man because they believed he was an illegal immigrant. One of the men cited Trump during the attack.



Judge calls Scott and Steve Leader's attack on homeless man 'despicable'



Appearing on "60 Minutes" in an episode that aired Sunday night, Trump was asked about the reported post-election incidents. He told supporters to "stop it."



"I am so saddened to hear that," he said, according to CBS. "And I say, 'Stop it.' If it-- if it helps. I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: Stop it."



The Massachusetts attorney general's hotline is 1-800-994-3228. Healey's office also encouraged residents to contact them through social media or file a civil rights complaint.



Healey's office also urged immigrants to "come forward with their concerns without fear of reprisal based on immigration status," in a release announcing the hotline.



Healey, a Charlestown Democrat, backed Hillary Clinton in the presidential race.



"Potential hate crimes - including bias-motivated assault, battery, and property damage - should also be reported to the local police in the first instance. Residents who fear for their immediate safety should call 911," Healey's office added in its release.



The president of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs of Police, Brian Kyes, voiced support and said they're "ready to investigate" hate crime allegations.