Number of alerts sent to fedpol
Threats down but still a concern
In 2020 and 2021, the number of threats against senior members of the government and judiciary more than tripled compared to the previous year. In 2022, fedpol received 528 alerts, 181 less than the year before. This was still a high number, but the content of the alerts was just as worrying.
Number of alerts in 2022
| Alerts | Actual threats / potential danger to others |
|---|---|
| 528 | 68 |
Note on statistics: if someone sends several alerts on the same day, they are recorded as one alert. fedpol, however, evaluates and analyses all alerts separately. Since autumn 2022, members of Parliament, government ministers and senior judges have also been able to submit alerts using an app created by fedpol, ensuring quick and direct transmission of information to the security service. In all cases, fedpol conducts a detailed analysis of the situation.
In 2022, fedpol took measures such as meetings with potential offenders, warning letters and bringing criminal charges in 68 cases. These measures are taken in the case of insulting or aggressive communications, in order to make the individuals concerned aware that they are potentially committing a criminal offence.
Security police tasks
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security assessments for government ministers and senior judges * | 769 | 519 | 465 | 646 |
| Security measures for foreign diplomatic representations | 370 | 141 | 259 | 420 |
| Managed events** | 18 | 20 | 16 | 16 |
* Detailed assessments of specific individuals ** Special or extraordinary events managed by fedpol’s special police intervention groups
| Foreign visitors entitled to protection under international law | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of visitors | 1318 | 525 | 506 | 1057 |
| Number of personal protection measures | 466 | 241 | 137 | 229 |
| Number of permits to carry weapons issued to foreign security officers(art. 27 of WA and art. 49 OArm) | 1305 | 662 | 780 | 658 |
| Risk Analyses | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat assessments for visitors protected under public international law | 445 | 335 | 210 | 304 |
| Threat assessments for the protection of government ministers, senior judges and foreign representations | 128 | 288 | 325 | 368 |
| Situation assessments for federal buildings in Switzerland and abroad*** | 7 | 12 | 18 | 15 |
*** Situation assessments are carried out according to the circumstances or at the request of the holders of rights of domicile. On this basis, fedpol draws up an analysis of weaknesses and proposes improvements to the holders of rights of domicile.
| Threats | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alerts | 246 | 885 | 1215 | 528 |
| Threats and/or offences prosecuted ex officio | 18 | 64 | 120 | 68 |
With the end of the health measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, travel and visits abroad have resumed their normal course. Switzerland was able to open its doors again for international events, such as diplomatic and business conferences. This explains why the annual number of visitors has doubled compared to the previous two years.