Threats Against Congress Up 107 Percent Over 2020: Capitol Police

WASHINGTON, DC — The number of threats made against members of Congress has increased by 107 percent this year compared with the same period in 2020, according to the U.S. Capitol Police.

Given the rise of right-wing political violence during the tenure of now-former President Donald Trump and efforts to subvert democracy in states across the nation, the Capitol Police said it “is confident the number of cases will continue to increase.”

The Capitol Police's prediction comes four months after the Jan. 6 violent assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters in an effort to overturn the results of the November presidential election. The assault on the Capitol left five people dead and roughly 140 police officers injured.

The Capitol Police said Friday the department has already taken steps to implement recommendations detailed in the Office of Inspector General’s third report on counter-surveillance and threat assessments.

Information from field agents is now being promptly distributed within the Capitol Police, including to the Intelligence and Interagency Coordination Division, which provides threat warning information and analysis of intelligence, the department said Friday.

“Of the 10 most recent OIG recommendations, the Department believes the most impactful are those specific to increasing threat assessment manpower and restructuring the Department to establish a stand-alone counter-surveillance entity — both of which require resources and authorization,” the Capitol Police said in a news release.

Last month, the Capitol Police's inspector general issued another preliminary report about the department's "deficiencies" leading up to the Jan. 6 assault.

On Friday, the Capitol Police said it agrees with the inspector general’s conclusion that a stand-alone counter-surveillance unit would be valuable.

“However, in order to fully implement this recommendation, the Department would require additional resources for new employees, training, and vehicles as well as approval from Congressional stakeholders,” the police department said.

The Capitol Police also said it agrees with the inspector general that it could be more reliant on the FBI for threat assessments.

While the FBI has arrested more than 440 people on a range of charges stemming from the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, no top officials in the Trump administration or lawmakers who incited the rioters have been charged in connection with the insurrection.