US Capitol Police Need More Officers, Extra Training - Inspector General

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th December, 2021) The Capitol Police need to fill about 200 vacancies, establish a single bureau to oversee training and strengthen links with FBI and other US intelligence agencies to protect lawmakers, staff and visitors should an attack reminiscent of the January 6 events occur, Inspector General Michael Bolton said in a congressional testimony on Tuesday.

"We want to see training become the flagship of this department," Bolton told the US Senate Rules Committee.

Bolton cited FBI and Secret Service agent training as examples for the Capitol Police force to emulate.

"We're nowhere near close and we need to have a training services bureau infrastructure that is going to handle all the training," he said.

Bolton cited numerous changes since January 6 that have made the Capitol complex more secure, including improved command and control systems for supervisors, equipment allowing officers to receive real time intelligence through cell phones if radios don't work and access to protective gear so unprotected officers in uniform don't have to directly confront rioters.

Bolton noted Capitol Police have lost at least 200 officers to retirement or resignation since January, leaving the force well below its authorized strength of about 18,000, with officers facing excessive mandatory overtime to fill staffing gaps.

In addition, Bolton cited a continued need to upgrade the force's ability to consume intelligence generated by other agencies such as the FBI by continuing to hire and train analysts.

Capitol police found themselves ill prepared when a group of supporters of former President Donald Trump entered the Capitol on January 6 to protest lawmakers accepting the 2020 US presidential election results from several states that Trump said were stolen.