Nation NYPD creates Asian Hate Crimes Task Force after spike in verbal, physical assaults amid pandemic August 19, 2020 N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY Comments Off on NYPD creates Asian Hate Crimes Task Force after spike in verbal, physical assaults amid pandemic There have been 21 reported anti-Asian hate crimes since March, due to racist rhetoric about coronavirus, Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said