Colorado home to 16 hate organizations, advocacy group says

DENVER — Colorado's beautiful mountain views and abundance of sunny days make the state a desirable place to be for millions, including some who participate in groups identified as hate organizations.

Sixteen organizations in Colorado made the list of nearly 1,000 active hate groups nationwide, compiled into a map by the Southern Poverty Law Center, alegal advocacy organization that specializes in civil rights. 

The SPLC's "hate map," as they call it, includes neo-Nazi groups, anti-Muslim groups, anti-immigrant groups, white nationalist organizations and even hate music companies, which SPLC defines as "typically white power music labels that record, publish and distribute racist music." 

Additionally, the SPLC tracks 1,600 groups, extinct and active, they define as hateful or extremist. Some are more recognizable, like the Ku Klux Klan, but others are less so. 

According to the hate map, Denver's metro area serves as home base for the bulk of of Colorado's hateful organizations, but many are statewide groups. Many of these organizations serve as chapters of a larger nationwide group.  

Statewide, these are the groups recognized as hateful by the SPLC: 

1. Colorado Springs — The Pray in Jesus Name Project, identified as anti-LGBT.
2. Colorado Springs — Family Research Institute, identified as anti-LGBT.
3. Littleton — Team America Political Action Committee, identified as anti-Muslim.
4. Elizabeth — Generations with Vision, identified as anti-LGBT.
5. Lakewood — Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform, identified as anti-immigration.
6. Denver — The Daily Stormer, identified as neo-Nazi. 
7. Denver — Israel united in Christ, identified as black separatist. 
8. Denver — Nation of Islam, identified as a black separatist group within the Nation of Islam group.
9. Wheat Ridge — MSR Productions, identified as hateful music. 
10. Frisco — The Brother Nathanael Foundation, identified as a general hate group. 
11. Laporte — Scriptures for America Ministries, identified as Christian identity hate group. 
12. Statewide — Aryan Strikeforce, identified as a racist skinhead movement. 
13. Statewide — Wolves of Vinland, identified as a white nationalist movement. 
14. Statewide — National Socialist Movement, identified as a neo-Nazi branch of a national group. 
15. Statewide — ACT for America, identified as an anti-Muslim movement. 
16. Statewide — Soldiers of Odin, identified as an anti-Muslim movement. 

According to the most recent FBI data from 2015, Colorado has 234 law enforcement agencies covering over 5 million people. Those agencies reported 107 hate crime incidents in 2015. 

Of all hate crimes against people in 2015, the FBI said 42.5 percent are simple assault, 33.9 percent are intimidation, 22.9 percent are aggravated assault, .3 percent of people raped their victims and .2 percent murdered their victims. 

In crimes against property, the FBI said 58.1 percent were destruction or vandalism and 15.8 percent were robbery.