There are 23 active hate groups in Missouri

There are 939 active hate groups in the United States according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The SPLC is internationally known for tracking and exposing the activities of hate groups.

According to the group’s data there are 23 hate groups in Missouri.

Cole County Sheriff Greg White has years of experience in protecting Missouri citizens from hate crimes.

“I am always bothered when people are fearful in our society. I feel like we have a societal failure when that’s the case,” said Sheriff White.

White told ABC 17 News that Cole and Boone County are not known for having hate groups.

Kansas City, St. Louis, and the southern area of Missouri is a different story according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

They are comprised of Klu Klux Klan, Neo-Nazi, and white nationalist groups.

While mid-Missouri does not have hate groups according to SPLC, White told ABC 17 News years ago the National Socialist Movement came to town.

“This community handled it better than anything I had ever seen. We simply looked at it like how do we devalue their message, and it’s simply to ignore them,” said White.

When the group marched on the capitol there were only 22 people watching them.

Thirteen of them were law enforcement.