By Jon Robertson (Contact / Staff Bio)
March 28, 2008 - 08:23 a.m. EST

Two local hate groups are reported in a new national study, which indicates those groups are on the rise throughout the United States.

In the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Intelligence Report,” there are 45 “hate groups” in South Carolina. Most of these groups are Neo-Confederate branches, including one branch in Clemson and another in Easley. A Neo-Nazi group was reported in Westminster.

“Intelligence Report,” is SPLC’s journal, with staffers investigating hate crimes and groups throughout the country. The report indicates a 48 percent national increase since 2000, with 888 documented.

A non-profit legal organization based in Alabama, SPLC defines a hate group as attacking or maligning an entire class of people. SPLC states that groups on the hate group database do not advocate violence or criminal activity just by the group’s inclusion.

Westminster Police Chief Scott Bannister is aware of the group identified by SPLC but said there have been no hate crimes reported in the city jurisdiction since he took office in July 2001.

“As with any anti-government or hate-related group, it is the responsibility of all citizens to be aware of these groups and to report any activity to law enforcement,” he said.

Pickens County Assistant Sheriff Tim Morgan said he is not aware of any threat the two reported Neo-Confederate groups have created for county residents. Morgan said a special operations unit monitors information regarding potential hate crimes and routes that information through the proper channels.

“It is something that we get information from occasionally,” he said. “We act under parameters we operate under.”

South Carolina has the fourth highest number of hate groups in the state, according to the “Intelligence Report”, behind California, Florida and Texas. Georgia is just behind South Carolina with 42 groups.