Undercover work reveals extent of hate

In the past two weeks in New York City, two men were arrested after making anti-Asian threats and comments to Asian American police officers working undercover.

One man was charged on Saturday with trying to shove one of the New York Police Department officers onto subway tracks in the borough of Queens, according to police.

On April 9, another suspect told an officer to "go back to China "before threatening harm.

Both men were set free within 24 hours, the New York Post reported.

Because of bail reform measures that went into effect last year, incidents in which there is not bodily harm are exempt from cash bail requirements in New York.

Ricardo Hernandez, 32, faces three hate-crime charges in an attack on an officer on a Long Island City railway station platform around 5:30 pm on Saturday. He has had at least 12 prior arrests.

At Hernandez's arraignment, Queens Supreme Court Justice Louis Nock said the bail guidelines passed by the state legislature in Albany prevented him from holding the suspect in jail.

"My hands are tied because under the new bail rules, I have absolutely no authority or power to set bail on this defendant for this alleged offense," the judge said.

The suspect allegedly approached the undercover officer on the N train platform at 31st Street and 39th Avenue in Dutch Kills and tried to push him onto the tracks, police said.

"That's why you people are getting beat up," Hernandez allegedly said. "This is my house."

He was arrested on the platform and charged with harassment, aggravated harassment and menacing, all as hate crimes.

In the April 9 incident, police said Juvian Rodriguez, 35, was arrested outside Madison Square Garden near Penn Station after he told another Asian officer: "Go back to China before you end up in a graveyard. I'm gonna… stab you in the face." Rodriguez was released less than 12 hours later.

"While New Jersey, California, Illinois and other states have limited the use of bail, New York is one of the few states to abolish bail for many crimes without also giving state judges the discretion to consider whether a person poses a threat to public safety in deciding whether to hold them," The New York Times reported in December 2019.

In addition to bail reform, there also is the issue of when hate crime charges are filed.

On Monday, the NYPD introduced the five members of a new Hate Crime Review Panel at One Police Plaza.

"Today we are facing nearly daily reports of hate crimes. We need to help stop this," said Devorah Halberstam, a panel member.

In attacks where the suspect's motivation is unclear, the panelists will review the circumstances and send recommendations to the police and district attorney, CBS New York reported.

The NYPD deployed several undercover Asian officers starting last month to deter attacks against Asians.