Pennsylvania Attorney General Ernie Preate has opened a regional office here to examine local instances of racial crime and ethnic intimidation, a spokesman for the attorney general said yesterday.

The office is located at 112 S. Burrowes St., said Jack Lewis, a spokesman from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office.

Preate launched the investigation at a news conference in Harrisburg on Feb. 27, announcing a joint effort with Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar.

A team of agents from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in the Pennsylvania District Attorney's office and local police are using the office as headquarters for their investigation, said Lewis.

He said the office will be temporary while the investigation is taking place.

University President Bryce Jordan, in a prepared statement, said he approved of the office presence near campus.

"Our request for a special team demonstrates our commitment to a safe climate for all students, and follows up on a promise I made to the students of Penn State that I would do everything in my power to see that perpetrators of acts of ethnic intimidation are identified and punished," Jordan said.

The move comes after a week-long series of protests last month by black University students who questioned the Penn State administration's sincerity in combating a recent rise in racially-motivated incidents.

In a related development, a team of social scientists who had visited campus in December to assess the racial climate will return March 23. Students had complained that the scientists' finals week visits resulted in an inaccurate survey of the environment.

Borough Manager Peter Marshall said he hopes Preate's office will prove a useful asset in the investigation.

"Anything that is done by the state which will help to identify those few people who are creating trouble is certainly valuable," Marshall said. "I hope the results of the state effort are positive."

Individuals with information about incidents of racial or ethnic intimidation can contact the office weekdays at (814) 865-3630. An answering machine will accept messages during evenings and weekends, Lewis said.