US Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger testified on Wednesday before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee that there have over 50 Members of Congress have been victims of swatting attacks over the past month. The Capitol’s police chief also reported that 700 members have faced threats in the same time frame. The incidents highlight growing security concerns as political tensions escalate nationwide, with the chief making efforts to recruit and retain more Capitol Police officers.

Swatting involves making false emergency calls to prompt an armed law enforcement response, creating risks of injury or even death. According to Manger, the recent instances involved fabricated reports of crises at lawmakers’ homes or offices, putting both members and responding officers in danger. He also confirmed that the Capitol Police are working closely with the FBI and local agencies to identify and prosecute the perpetrators.

Manger highlighted in a statement:

We provide the protection at the level it needs to be, but you do that through officers working double shifts, and our deputies average 50 hours of overtime every pay period. 50 hours … And not only can we provide protection for the leadership 24/7, but when we have people that have threats against them that require us to stand up temporary details we can do that because right niow when we do it we are robbing Peter to pay Paul. We are yanking somone off another detail to stand up the detail to help someone for a temporary threat situation.

Swatting incidents have had fatal consequences in the past, with accidental injuries resulting from law enforcement responses to false reports. Lawmakers and advocacy groups have been calling for stricter penalties for swatting offenders and urging enhanced measures to detect and prevent such hoaxes.

The Capitol Police have intensified security support for targeted lawmakers, offering resources to mitigate risks and working to enhance the tracking of emergency calls. However, officials acknowledge that the anonymity afforded by modern technology complicates efforts to identify those behind the attacks.

This spike in swatting incidents comes as part of broader concerns over public officials’ safety following the January 6 Capitol Attack and increasing polarization in political discourse. Congress previously allocated additional funding to bolster the Capitol Police’s capacity to handle rising threats, but challenges persist in addressing evolving tactics like swatting.

The wave of attacks comes amid rising threats against public officials. A report from the Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section showed that threats against Members of Congress more than doubled between 2017 and 2022, with an increasing shift toward digital methods like swatting. This also comes after two foreign nationals were charged in a swatting conspiracy targeting lawmakers, private victims, houses of worship and businesses in August. Further, President-elect Donald Trump was injured in an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally in July, and after, the US DOJ charged 3 Iranians over a plot to assassinate him before the election in November. This also comes after another probable assassination attempt against him in September.