Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger asserted that the U.S. Capitol has made enough security improvements to withstand an attack such as the one that took place nearly a year ago on Jan. 6, contradicting concerns from the Capitol Police union and Republican critics who allege that not enough has been done to improve security.
“The United States Capitol Police as an organization is stronger and better prepared to carry out its mission today than it was before Jan. 6 of last year,” Manger said in a rare press conference on Tuesday with members of the Capitol Police Board, the body of three congressional officials who oversee the police force.
The force has improved its intelligence-gathering and dissemination, Manger said, a major factor in what led to an unprepared security posture on Jan. 6. An operational planning expert from the Secret Service came in to help the force develop a blueprint for handling large events. Officers now have cellphones to get intelligence reports and operational information. External communication to the public has improved, and the force brought in support dogs and peer support programs to help officers experiencing trauma.
Asked if the Capitol could withstand such an attack today, Manger told the Washington Examiner: “I believe so, yes.”
The assessment by Manger, who was not the police chief on Jan. 6, 2021, is nearly the opposite of the Capitol Police Union and Republicans probing security failures on Jan. 6.
“As the anniversary of the 1/6 attack approaches, the USCP Union believes the Capitol is not yet secure enough to withstand future attacks,” the union said in a Monday press release. “Changes implemented by the Department have not occurred quickly enough to meet the increasing and evolving threats faced at the Capitol complex by Members of Congress, their staff, and visitors.”
In a press call on Monday, Republicans charged that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not done enough to ensure security at the Capitol because she is more concerned with the “political” select committee formed to investigate the attack on the Capitol.
“Frankly, our police officers, I believe, are actually in a worse position today than they were on Jan. 6, and it’s directly because of the inaction of Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats,” said Illinois Republican Rep. Rodney Davis, ranking member on the Committee on House Administration.
Union chairman Gus Papathanasiou pointed to Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton telling Congress in December that fewer than a third of his 104 security recommendations had been fully implemented. Davis pointed to that, too, in a memo sent to Republican colleagues on Monday.
Asked about the number, Manger said that the department has completed or addressed over 90 of the recommendations. While 34 of the recommendations have been implemented, another 60 are in progress.
Improvements in the works include upgrades to the physical structure of the Capitol. Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, a member of the Capitol Police Board, said money was appropriated by Congress for upgrades to windows and camera systems. New windows will be installed in the spring.
Blanton added that “significant” physical improvements have been made. Windows that were broken on Jan. 6 have been repaired, and there is also an effort to reinforce doors to the Capitol. Lighting and electrical systems have been enhanced.
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Papathanasiou also criticized the Capitol Police Board considering hiring private security officers to help make up for the severely understaffed police force, calling it “a recipe for disaster” because the contractors “are not trained to our standards.” Manger said that he understands the union’s concerns and is trying to address them.
The Capitol Police lost 130 officers to retirements and resignations following the Jan. 6 attack, according to the union, and Manger told Politico recently that the force is “probably 400 officers down from where we should be.”
