NSW Police set up squad to target racist and religious crime Thugs bash a man in a suburban commuter train during the Cronulla race riots in Sydney, 2005. Picture: Craig Greenhill Source: News Limited RACIAL, sexual and religiously motivated crimes are being investigated by a specialist hate-crimes unit set up by NSW Police. The Bias Motivation Unit - the idea for which was prompted by the 2005 Cronulla riots and is modelled on FBI squads in the US - is being tested in two city and two regional areas, with plans to extend it across the state. News of the small team of investigators comes just weeks after the assault of members of Bondi's Jewish community - a crime the unit says was not carried out by anyone with anti-Semitic views. Police examine bigotry on Sydney buses and trains In August, 42 cases were referred to the squad, with seven found to be hate crimes. "Following the high-profile incidents at Cronulla and the attack on Indian students at Harris Park, where racial tensions were a primary motivating factor, the police force established the position of Bias Crimes Co-ordinator," unit spokesman Superintendent Danny Sullivan said. Superintendent Danny Sullivan at Gosford police station. The main aim is to identify, respond to and investigate bias-motivated incidents. Supt Sullivan said the team also looks into the possibility of broader groups being targeted, including the disabled and aged. The crimes we look at can be anything from graffiti to murders. If there is bias in a crime and it can be proved it is an aggravating factor, we tell the investigating officers so they can upgrade the charges to one with aggravated circumstances. Hate symbols seen in Sydney are a sign of evil times This can mean longer prison sentences for offenders. We provide research and even testify in court to show the crime has bias elements. The BMU offered its assistance over last month's attack in Bondi, when five Jewish worshippers were assaulted as they returned from a synagogue. The Jewish community was concerned and still are that the attack was racially motivated. All the indications from our investigations and the local police is the crime was more opportunistic than targeted," Supt Sullivan said. Scenes from Sydney streets during a Muslim protest at Hyde Park last year. The squad, currently being trialled in Richmond, Newtown, the Central Coast and Griffith, is staffed by a full-time sergeant and a civilian intelligence analyst. The senior officer travelled the world observing other hate-crime units, particularly America's FBI. Research has shown hate crimes have a greater impact on victims and their communities and the level of violence used is generally greater. "It has been shown these crimes have incredibly traumatic psychological impact on the victim because they are bewildered at being targeted purely because of a belief or something they have no control of," Supt Sullivan said. The Cronulla riots showed there is the potential for small incidents to escalate if we are not careful. Part of the unit's aim is to identify those possible problems and pass them on.