An armed man was able to run up the Capitol steps and deep into the Capitol itself in part because the Capitol Police are understaffed and trying to please too many bosses at once, the police union’s leader said Tuesday.
“Talking to everybody, it appears that everybody on the line did their part,” Fraternal Order of Police Chair Lou Cannon said. “We need to look at where the chinks, so to speak, in the armor are.”
Authorities allege that Carlos Greene bashed his way through a police barricade at the Capitol and drove a stolen sports utility vehicle into the Capitol Visitor Center construction site. From there, Greene allegedly stormed into the Capitol through a construction door, traveling all the way to the House flag office near the other side of the Capitol before he was tackled.
On Monday, acting Capitol Police Chief Christopher McGaffin said that the breach was “unfortunate” but that it was heartening that the “inner ring” of police nabbed Greene without violence.
Nonetheless, Capitol Police have opened an internal review to decide what they should have done to keep Greene from getting that far.
Cannon said that part of the problem stems from high turnover in the ranks. As many as 20 officers have left the Capitol Police department in the last two months, most of them to become air marshals, Cannon said.
Additionally, McGaffin has scant resources and even less support to do his job properly, Cannon said. Congress has little patience for innovative chiefs, Cannon said.
“Nobody wants to be the next Teresa Chambers,” Cannon said, referring to the former U.S. Park Police chief who was fired after she gave public interviews bemoaning her budget.
“It’s a difficult position to go in as an interim chief with 535 bosses,” Cannon added.
Meanwhile Tuesday, Greene made his first public appearance since Monday’s incident. He’s charged with weapons, assault and drug charges and was ordered held without bond pending a hearing Friday. When he was arrested, police said Greene appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and had drugs on his person.
