Police across America report hate crimes against Asians are on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities say victims are reluctant to report incidents out of fear of police and retaliation.

Despite facing a billion dollars of cuts, the NYPD's creating an Asian Hate Crimes Task Force ... to tackle attacks on Asians - physical and verbal - in the coronavirus era.

"Asian New Yorkers were attacked on trains ... buses ... parks ... restaurants ...  and walking in their own neighborhoods," said Rodney Harrison, NYPD Chief of Detectives.

The NYPD says between March and the beginning of August New York City saw 21 reported anti-Asian hate crimes - for which there were 17 arrests.

The task force is comprised of 25 Asian-speaking officers who all speak a different language whether its Madarin, Cantonese, Fukienese, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog.

CGTN's John Terrett reports.