Joining 175 police departments across the Commonwealth, Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) yesterday distributed wallet-sized cards to its officers that will help them identify and investigate hate crimes.

The card program, which is sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), aims to help officers identify potential hate crimes by giving them a resource of information. More than 16,000 cards were distributed at police roll call shifts across Massachusetts yesterday.

According to HUPD Chief Francis D. "Bud" Riley, the cards will help his officers identify possible hate crimes more easily even though the University population is generally aware of what constitutes a hate crime.

"When they've covering an incident, they need to be aware that there may be more to it than it appears," Riley said.

There were at least two alleged hate crimes directed at Harvard undergraduates this fall.

Listed on the front of the card are factors that officers should consider in identifying possible hate crimes, such as whether neighborhood tensions exist or whether the victim is one of a few people of a particular group in the area.

The other side of the card lists strategies for effective investigation of possible hate crimes, including tips on interviewing victims and resources available to victims.

"When hate crimes happen, they hurt whole communities," said Robert Leikind, ADL's regional executive director. "It is exciting to see so many police departments preparing their officers to respond effectively."

After HUPD's 4 p.m. roll call yesterday, HUPD Detective Sergeant Richard Mederos said the cards will send a message to potential criminals.

"It will let the people who do these crimes know that we take these very seriously," Mederos said. "We want to make officers more cognizant of these incidents."

Mederos said that giving responding officers this tool will help police combat hate crimes more effectively.

"The more information the initial officer receives, the better the investigation detectives can do later," he said.

The card distribution is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes and the Executive Office of Public Safety.

--Staff writer Garrett M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@fas.harvard.edu.