SAN JUAN – San Juan police said they’ve experienced an increase in the number of online threats over the past three months.

San Juan Police Chief Juan Gonzalez said online threats now average to at least one every month.

He said the police department is not the only one being targeted.

Gonzalez said his department, in collaboration with Pharr police, is investigating a social media post brought to their attention by a concerned citizen.  

His agency approached and questioned the suspect responsible for the alarming post.

Gonzalez said they determined the threatening post was not credible. However, he said his office does not take online threats of any kind lightly.

“When we have these kinds of incidents we usually try to find a motive to look into backgrounds, as to what is happening with that individual,” the police chief said. “If they post something and that posting includes that the threat is made to harm someone, to seriously injure anybody or to try to commit a murder... and it alarms law enforcement, they will face some charges. Usually, the charge that we look is a terrorist threat.”

Gonzalez urged the public to always notify law enforcement of any threatening social media posts. He said his department will then open an investigation to determine if the threat is credible.

Anyone with concerns over an online threat is urged to report it to the San Juan Police Department by calling 956-223-2440 or their Crime Stoppers line at 956-283-8477.