Police miss background checks

Psychological evaluations and criminal background checks were not conducted during the recent hiring of more than 70 officers by the former director of the U.S. Capitol Police’s Human Resources department, according to Capitol Police sources.

Officials became suspicious after more than 10 officers-in-training dropped out of the past two classes of 72 trainees at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Ga., before completing their work. The facility has an average dropout rate of two trainees for every 75, according to Peggy Dixon, spokeswoman for FLETC.

This resulted in Jennifer McCarthy being replaced as human resources director. She remains a Capitol Police employee and is technically on administrative leave, sources said.

Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Schneider said Capitol Police would not comment on procedural changes or investigations within the department, but former police chief and Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer acknowledged the department is reworking the Human Resources division.

“I am aware that [Capitol Police] Chief [Phillip] Morse and the chief administrative officer are making some changes in HR and I support their work,” Gainer said.

Other police sources confirmed McCarthy had been removed from her position.

Newly appointed Deputy Chief Matthew Verderosa identified himself as acting director of Human Resources when McCarthy’s line was called by a reporter. Sources said he would remain as acting director until a replacement is found.

A spokeswoman for the House Administration Committee’s Republican members said Capitol Police had “identified a problem” that involved compliance with standard procedures and “are taking the appropriate corrective measures.”

“Maintaining a secure Capitol complex includes strict adherence to standard recruitment and hiring policies,” said spokeswoman Salley Collins.

When reached last week by telephone, McCarthy disputed assertions by several sources that she was removed from her position and escorted from police headquarters last week. “I’m a current employee of the United States Capitol Police,” she said. She also declined to comment on any procedural mistakes the Human Resources department had made recently.  

Later calls to McCarthy were not returned.

The police trainees who did not receive a complete evaluation before being hired by Capitol Police have since undergone and passed all necessary tests, according to one source familiar with the issue.

Though none have been fired as result, officials were disturbed that officers had been hired to protect Congress but had not been properly vetted, physically, psychologically or criminally, to complete their duties, according to three sources.

All Capitol Police officers are trained at FLETC, which schools more than 62,000 law enforcement personnel every year from more than 65 agencies throughout the country.

Capitol Police officials first took note of the problems after receiving the latest statistics from the officer training program. Startled by the abnormally high dropout rate, more than five times the average, Capitol Police officials approached the Human Resources department in search of why so many had failed to complete their training.