Capitol Police need to bolster threat monitoring, watchdog says
The Capitol Police force was hobbled by inadequate intelligence gathering ahead of the Jan. 6 siege, the department’s watchdog told Congress on Monday, alarming lawmakers who are concerned for their own safety.
Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton testified in the first of three House hearings this week on what went wrong during the Jan. 6 insurrection. Lawmakers are inhunting vestigating the riots as they contemplate overhauling security, and Bolton has recommended that the Capitol Police create a new stand-alone division that would gather intelligence about threats and protect members similar to the way the U.S. Secret Service protects the president.
Many lawmakers are receiving threats and worry for their safety after the U.S. Capitol was so easily breached on Jan. 6 by supporters of then-President Donald Trump who wanted to overturn the election. The rioters were
for lawmakers, calling out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and thenVice President Mike Pence by name as they roamed the building and members fled the House and Senate. In a statement Friday, the Capitol Police said that there has been a
107% increase in threats against members of Congress this year compared to 2020.
Bolton said the department’s guidance on counterintelligence was “outdated or vague” — some so ancient that it referred to Blackberry communication devices, which are now rarely used.
Bolton told the panel that the Capitol Police is in the process of opening up two regional offices so it can better protect lawmakers at home. The department confirmed that on Monday, saying they will be opening up offices in San Francisco and Tampa.