As this semester's series of racially-motivated crimes remain unsolved, the state has decided to step in -- a move demonstrating the crimes' severity and the high-level commitment needed to address intolerance and bigotry. This commitment needs to end in results.

Attorney General Ernie Preate, Jr. announced late last month that he would send a team of investigators to State College to look into the recent racial acts and since then six investigators have begun working with both University Police Services and the State College Borough of Police Services.

The investigation targets at least six incidents directed at the black and Jewish communities, all of which have taken place since the first of the year and include the racist fliers aimed at Undergraduate Student Government President Seth Williams and the reported assault of five black women by 10 white men.

The state Human Relations Commission brought these to the attention of the Attorney General's office and made the formal request with Univeristy President Bryce Jordan to send the investigative team.

The state's highly visible involvement in the investigation sends a message to Pennsylvania that the community will not condone racially motivated crimes on campus and in State College. It also reinforces the verbal denouncements made before Spring Break by University and State College officials. Changing people's attitudes requires education, an important part of which is vigorous pursuit and prosecution of racial crime and ethnic intimidation.

The investigative team also intends to monitor the situation in the community closely and act quickly should any similar incidents occur. Although the Centre County District Attorney's office would prosecute the cases, the presence of leadership at the state level provides an outlet for complaints outside of the community. This hopefully will encourage people to come forward with information they may not have reported otherwise.

While some may claim the state's administration may be more concerned with the negative publicity the racial incidents have brought to Penn State rather than the actual environment which provokes such acts, their input still commands attention. Their primary concern should be to solve these crimes, not just generate positive publicity.

The Attorney General has begun the investigation in good faith, but ultimately, the results the investigation produces will be the measure of the effort.