FBI moved staff to the field, Raya says, giving SACs more authority

Deputy Director Raya said the bureau reduced a perceived headquarters 'bloat' and moved personnel to field offices so investigators and analysts can do work where it needs to be done. "At one point, I believe we had 0.333 of the workforce working inside the National Capital Region...and so...the last 18 months, we've pushed roughly 2,000 bodies out to the field," he said.

Raya framed the relocations as one reason for improved field outcomes, saying putting staff on the ground helped lower violent crime rates and increase arrests in prioritized areas. He also said the bureau has for some time relocated certain headquarters functions to places such as Huntsville, a move he described as aimed at increasing local investigative capacity.