There are reports in the media, on social media and spreading throughout the community that people of Chinese heritage are increasingly becoming targets of hate crimes and being blamed for COVID-19.
"I am disturbed to hear that people are being targeted and blamed for COVID 19," said Police Chief Steve Mylett. "If this is happening here in Bellevue it needs to stop. I encourage any victim of a hate crime or bias-related incident to contact their local police department and report the incident. We need to know about it. We will vigorously pursue and arrest anyone who commits a hate crime in Bellevue."
The chief says he's convinced incidents are occurring and they're just not being reported. "I need our Chinese neighbors to tell us if they are a victim of hate because of their Chinese heritage. The Bellevue Police Department is here to protect and serve you, but we can't help if we don't know about it."
How to report
To report an immediate threat or ongoing incident, call 911 immediately. If an incident occurred in the recent past, you can easily report it online. An officer will review it and will contact you if more information is needed.
"These are stressful times for everyone. COVID-19 doesn't recognize race, nationality or ethnicity, and viruses don't discriminate," Mylett said. "Please, stop blaming, support one another, heed the orders to stay home. The life you save may be your own or someone close to you.”