SO Equity is offering a bias reporting system for people who have experienced hate crimes

Volunteers are being trained to support victims through trauma.

A country are acros newswatch 12 is following how the southern oregon coalition for racial equity is tracking bias incidents.

Newswatch 12's tyler ridgle joins us live from the medford police department.

She has been in contact with officials about how bias crimes should be reported.

Tyler what have you heard from community members regarding anti-asian sentiments?

Well-- one so equity leader tells me few bias incidents have been reported after the organization set up a bias reporting system.

And lt.

Mike budreau here at the medford police department tells me he's looked back at reports from 20-15 and hasn't discovered any reports of bias incidents.

But if someone does feel threatened he says they need to come forward.

Sot: it needs to be reported, it's called intimidation.

Vo: lt.

Mike budreau at the medford police department says from his training he has come to learn that hate crimes are rare.

Sot: is there any way to identify if it is a hate crime?

Sot: we would have to prove that the action they were doing was a, illegal and b, that they were doing it based on their perception of the person's protected class.

Vo: one southern oregon cardiologist almost had her mask ripped off and was verbally assaulted at a grocery store by a man-- and had one woman blocking the door at the same grocery store calling her racial slurs.

When newswatch 12 tried to contact her-- nat: phone call vo: she declined another public interview in fear that the lives of herself and her family members could be threatened.

The logistics director for the local community organization so equity -- says not everyone is comfortable filing a police report.

Sot: are any of these cases being reported to law enforcement?

Sot: we provide that option of supporting the person who reported in filling out a police report if they want to, but we have no direct partnership with law enforcement.

Vo: and so equity isn't the only group condeming the recent crimes against asian americans.

I-r-c-o's pacific islander & asian family center gave newswatch 12 a statement saying quote irco's pacific islander & asian family center continues our work towards creating a safe space and building alliances to keep our communities safe from hate crimes, racial injustice, and violence.

Supporting our communities and building awareness will help our communities at risk feel safe during these vulnerable times.

Aside from supporting and providing resources to victims, so equity says it will also track reports regionally to identify any trends -- and organization members are going