U.S. Capitol Police announces field offices across U.S. to probe threats to Congress members

The U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday said it is expanding operations beyond Washington, D.C., to include the opening of regional field offices in California, Florida and elsewhere in the country to investigate threats to members of Congress. 

The announcement by acting Chief Yogananda Pittman also says the effort by USCP, the primary police force on Capitol Hill, is in coordination with additional staffing of its Dignitary Protection Division within the capital region. 

Pittman also said in the release, on the six-month anniversary of the Capitol Building breach, that over 500 defendants face charges in connection with the incident and that the agency has increased staffing in its Civil Disturbance Unit  

She also said the agency continues to "pivot" toward an "intelligence-based protective agency," following recommendations in several post-Jan. 6 breach reports including ones from the Government Accountability Office, Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs and the "Capitol Security Review," conducted by Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré’s Task Force 1-6.