WASHINGTON, D.C. — The police department in charge of protecting the U.S. Capitol Complex is still recovering from last January’s attack.
What You Need To Know
- One year after the Capitol was attacked, the police force sworn to protect it is still struggling with morale issues and recruitment efforts
- Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan chairs the House subcommittee that funds Capitol Police and is in close touch with officers
- Ryan said rank and file officers remain burnt out, exhausted, overworked and underpaid
- The new Capitol Police chief held a press conference Tuesday to discuss improvements made in the last year to training and intelligence sharing
Capitol Police officers were overrun when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the building on Jan. 6, 2021.
More than 80 were injured; Officer Brian Sicknick died the next day after suffering two strokes; and Officer Howard Liebengood died by suicide two days later.
Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan (D, OH-13) has been in regular touch with officers as chairman of the House subcommittee that funds the department.
“The rank and file are still burnt out. I mean, they’re exhausted, they’re overworked, they’re underpaid,” Ryan told Spectrum News on Tuesday.
He said he’s worried about morale, although new Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger has improved how the department shares intelligence and equips officers to respond to threats.
“I’m less concerned about this ever happening again, but more concerned about the actual day to day operations of the Capitol Police and them not getting the love and investment and programming that they need to bounce back from this,” Ryan said.
More than 130 Capitol Police officers have quit or retired since the attack. Ryan said the department is struggling to hire several hundred new officers because pay and benefits are better elsewhere.
In the months following the riot, a fence surrounded the Capitol. It was briefly put back up in September ahead of a protest, but it has been taken down again and children were sledding on the Hill on Tuesday morning.
Chief Manger held a rare press conference Tuesday afternoon with members of the board that oversees his department. Three of the four started their jobs after the attack.
“We work very well together as a team and we have a singular mission in mind to improving the safety and security of this campus,” Manger said.
He said improving training and communication, specifically during major events, is being prioritized.
The department also brought in support dogs and has expanded a peer support program to help officers.
Congress increased funding for the department by 15% after the attack, but Ryan said it’s not nearly enough to attract high quality recruits and create a new sense of stability.
“We got a long way to go and I’m not here to say everything’s perfect,” Ryan said. “We’re better than we were a year ago, but we’re not where we need to be.”
Manger will testify before Congress for the first time on Wednesday.
