According to the state security officials in New Jersey, white supremacists are posing a higher threat than any other terrorist organization in the state. The annual Terrorism Threat Assessment report which was released on Friday, February 21, raised the threat level for white supremacist extremists to 'high' which is considered as the topmost category for any extremist organization in the state.
The threat level increased following the attacks last year. In the 2019 report, it was homegrown violent extremists that held the highest category of threat perception. Previously, the white supremacists posed a moderate level of threat along with the ISIS.
According to the 2020 report, the infamous terrorist organization moved to the lower end of threat level while the white supremacist extremist levelled up. The report also indicated that the group was a level above Boko Haram, the black separatist extremists, and several other organization.
The aftermath of several attacks in one year
The report assessed several attacks including the El Paso Walmart attack. The shooter from El Paso had written a four-page document that was racist. Along with this, there are several recorded incidents where the neo-nazi propaganda was spread.
There have been several recorded cases where the group tried to spread the propaganda and beliefs to the people and even tried to recruit new members to the organization. The report said that in 2019, there have been 168 reported instances of white supremacist propaganda distribution. Compared to the report of the previous year which recorded 48 incidents the number has increased drastically. There has also been an increase in the number of flyers, stickers, posters and other handouts in the state between the two years.
According to The Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism, the incidents tripled within two to three years. The report also increased the alert level for black separatist extremists from low to moderate. This was following the attack in the kosher market in Jersey City.
