Story at a glance
- The U.S. Capitol Police are responsible for protecting the United States Congress and the legislative process.
- They did not prevent an armed insurrection of President Trump’s supporters as lawmakers met to certify the results of the presidential election.
- The department has little to no transparency regarding its operations, which have been marred by misconduct in the past.
Among the many questions left after the pro-Trump insurrection on the Capitol Building, there is one that officials have not yet been able to answer: How could this happen?
“The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was unlike any I have ever experienced in my 30 years in law enforcement here in Washington, D.C. Maintaining public safety in an open environment – specifically for First Amendment activities – has long been a challenge. The USCP had a robust plan established to address anticipated First Amendment activities. But make no mistake – these mass riots were not First Amendment activities; they were criminal riotous behavior,” said Chief of Police Steven Sund in a statement Thursday.
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A pro-Trump mob, some illegally carrying firearms on Capitol grounds, broke into the nation’s legislature on Wednesday, discharged chemical irritants, attacked Capitol Police and other uniformed law enforcement officers, vandalized federal property and attempted to break into the House Chamber. Capitol Police, who have exclusive jurisdiction over the Capitol grounds and buildings, did not hold them back.
“Sometimes when you don’t have enough personnel, you can’t stand and fight a large crowd like that,” former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer told NBC, adding that he wanted to give law enforcement “the benefit of the doubt.”
The statement asserts that Capitol Police were overwhelmed because officers were responding to two reports of a pipe bomb and another of a suspicious vehicle, taking resources away from the Capitol itself. The building was protected only with temporary barriers that had been installed as part of inauguration preparations. More than 18 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and the National Guard eventually responded to the scene — but the Capitol had already been breached.
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The United States Capitol Police (USCP) commands more than 2,3000 officers and civilian employees, according to the department website, and has an annual budget of about $460 million. Last month, Congress granted USCP an additional $51 million, bringing the total budget to $515 million, reported Roll Call, to fulfill its mission of “protecting the Congress and the legislative process.”
But the department, which is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, was spared accountability reforms proposed by Democrats this summer. This December, a Roll Call investigation revealed a “pattern of misconduct” documented in Capitol Police disciplinary reports, ranging from soliciting sex to unsecured guns to derogatory comments.
“In some cases they were demoted or terminated,” Sund said in a statement to CQ Roll Call at the time. “However, as law enforcement agencies throughout the country are experiencing, administering disciplinary penalties is often stymied, as was the case in two recent instances where third-party arbitrators forced the Department to reinstate officers terminated for misconduct.”
Changing America has reached out to USCP for comment.
Following the insurrection, one Capitol Police officer has been placed on administrative leave with their police powers suspended pending the outcome of a joint investigation with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) into the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt, who was among the rioters who stormed the Capitol building.
More than 50 USCP and MPD officers were injured during the attack on the Capitol, according to Sund, and several have been hospitalized for the severity of their injuries. In total, 13 suspects were arrested for unlawful entry of the U.S. Capitol in addition to the owner of the suspicious vehicle. Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating the two pipe bombs found on the grounds.
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