Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) announced this week the creation of a new unit dedicated to investigating threats against elected officials.
In a letter to state House and Senate leadership, Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens, Acting Commissioner of the PSP, specified that the Political Violence Threat Unit (PVTU) is part of the Department’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) with the responsibility of investigating threats and addressing the growing ideologically motivated violence against elected officials.
The PVTU is composed of highly skilled investigators with expertise in complex criminal investigations. Its creation reflects a strategic response to the evolving patterns of political violence,” said Lieutenant Colonel Bivens. “The creation of this dedicated unit will enhance the PSP's ability to respond to and mitigate incidents of political violence.”
The PVTU will work seamlessly with Troop members and specialized divisions within the PSP, and when appropriate, they will work collaboratively with law enforcement from federal, state, and local partners to combat the proliferation of threats against our publicly elected officials.
PSP arrested a Lebanon County man on May 6 for making extremely violent threats on social media against 20 members of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly. The PSP worked swiftly to flag the threats for the Lebanon County District Attorney and take the suspect into custody.
While the investigation and threat mitigation were handled properly by PSP, a review of this matter revealed a breakdown in the notification process, which led to significant changes being implemented immediately.
Governor Josh Shapiro is committed to doing everything in his power to keep lawmakers safe and ensure they can continue making their voices heard as the people’s elected officials.
As part of his 2026-27 budget, Governor Shapiro is pushing to strengthen security for state legislators by investing $550,000 to consolidate security services at the Capitol under one contract.
For more information about the Pennsylvania State Police, visit the PSP website.