FBI Director Patel Announces 1,500 Employee Relocation From Hoover Building Over Safety Concerns

FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the bureau will vacate its headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown Washington, D.C., citing safety concerns and the building's disrepair. Approximately 1,500 employees, about a third of the workforce in the National Capital Region, will be reassigned to other locations across the United States, with every state set to receive additional personnel. The move aims to position agents closer to where most crimes occur, as only a third of FBI employees are currently stationed near D.C., despite much of the crime happening elsewhere. The plan to relocate follows long-standing issues with the Hoover Building, which has been criticized for falling into disrepair and considered unsafe, with previous administrations debating its future. While the General Services Administration had selected a new site in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the FBI headquarters, those plans were halted amid political changes, including former President Donald Trump’s insistence on building a new FBI facility at the existing location. Patel emphasized the goal of providing a safer, more suitable workspace to inspire and support FBI personnel nationwide.