Early warning for American communities
We watch public online threats against communities of faith and other targeted groups, find the ones moving from talk toward an attack, and get that intelligence to law enforcement before it happens.
An opinion is not a crime. Ever.
Americans have the right to say what they think, including things that are ugly, hateful or offensive. The First Amendment protects that speech, and so does this center. We never report anyone for their beliefs or opinions.
What we do not track
- Opinions, however offensive
- Political views, on any side
- Religious beliefs
- Protest, criticism and satire
- Criticism of any government, group or faith
The one thing we track
People who express intent to hurt Americans. A stated plan to kill or attack, a named target, a weapon, a date. That is where words stop being an opinion and become a warning, and the Supreme Court has long held that true threats are not protected speech.
Only at that point do we send anything to law enforcement.
What the Constitution protects, we protect. A threat to hurt people, we report.
What the official count shows
Every year the FBI counts the hate crimes local agencies report to it. The 2025 numbers are below. They only cover agencies that file, and only what reaches a police report.
Victims by bias motivation, single-bias, 2025
Incidents reported, 2023 to 2025
Bars start at zero. The 2025 drop also reflects which agencies filed, so a lower count does not by itself mean less hate.
One watch, fifty states
A threat posted in one state is often aimed at a synagogue, mosque or church in another. Local agencies see their own jurisdiction. We read across all of them and send each alert to the agency that covers the target.
Identify. Analyze. Inform.
We focus on the point where hateful speech turns into a plan to hurt people. An opinion is never a crime, and we never treat it as one.
Identify
We monitor posts, forums, channels and other legally available data for threats against communities. We never use fake identities to get into private groups.
Analyze
Each post is scored for signs of possible intent: specificity, a named target, means, timing. We do not decide what is a threat or a crime. Police, prosecutors and courts do. Every product is marked as analysis, which can be wrong, so agencies can weigh it.
Inform
Alerts go to the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction, and briefings and training help officers understand how hate escalates and what it turns into. For law enforcement
Who is being targeted, and how
Each community faces its own attackers, code words and warning signs. Our profiles put the official numbers, the attacks that shaped the threat and the language analysts watch for in one place.
The Watchkeeper Project
Communities watching out for communities. Watchkeeper connects houses of worship, schools and community groups to the center, so the people closest to a threat can report it and hear back.
Partners get a direct line for tips, plain-language guidance on what to report, and alerts when a threat names their community.
watchkeeperproject.org · Reports for community security teams
NCTIC is an independent nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It is not a government agency, does not act under government authority, and does not make or enforce laws.
Opinions are not illegal. Ever. NCTIC does not track or report opinions, beliefs or protected speech. We track people who express intent to hurt Americans.
We take no position on immigration or other policy questions and do not blame threats on any group. Our anchor is simple: the law says no violence against people, whoever they are.
Law enforcement and partners
Agencies, community security groups and houses of worship can reach the center directly. Email works best for sending material. More for law enforcement and community security teams, and about the Center.