Capitol could be vulnerable as leadership transitions
Ex- Senate sergeant at arms shares security fears ahead of Biden’s inauguration
Frank Larkin Jr. is worried the U.S. Capitol building is even more vulnerable during the security leadership transition ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of President- elect Joe Biden.
His opinion matters because he is a former sergeant at arms of the U.S. Senate, whose job was helping keep the seat of government safe.
After a group of pro- President Donald Trump insurrectionists breached the Capitol building on Wednesday, law enforcement leaders tasked with protecting the building and chambers have resigned. Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael C. Stenger, House Sergeant at Arms Paul D. Irving and Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund have all tendered their resignations. The insurrection left five people dead— four Trump supporters and a Capitol police officer.
The three resigned after a mob, incited by the president and his supporters who lied about the 2020 election results, overwhelmed the underprepared Capitol police. It took federal officials more than an hour to approve aid. Sund departs his position on Jan. 16. Stenger left Thursday. A resignation date for Irving was not immediately available.
In an interview Saturday with The Capital, Larkin said the leadership changes so close to the inauguration is a severe security vulnerability. The Annapolis resident expressed his concerns as social media companies banned President Donald Trump for fear of inciting more violence.
“People are usually on pins and needles up there anyway, and this is just another incident that throws serious concerns in the wind,” Larkin said.
Larkin was the chief law enforcement
officer for Trump’s inauguration in 2017. He oversaw security during the Women’s March in 2017, the March for Our Lives in 2018 and the aftermath of the Congressional baseball shooting. Now working in the private sector, Larkin watched the unruly mob descend on the Capitol on television from his home. The display, he said, was a stain on democracy. He served from 2015 to 2018.
When he considers the question “what went wrong,” he said, “I would have to ask the question, what did they know in advance?”
There was enough information about the rally shared ahead of time, Larkin said. Far- right social media users shared posts far and wide forweeks indicating they intended to cause chaos at the Capitol while Congress convened to certify the election results. Police were outnumbered and underprepared.
Some participants came equipped with helmets, ballistic vests, zip- ties commonly used as restraints, climbing gear and entry tools.
“That’s not stuff you bring to a protest…” Larkin said. “Something failed.”
Larkin said it may have been difficult for officials to connect with organizers from so many different groups. Still, he said it should have been possible for law enforcement to gather all the information they needed for adequate preparation.
If law enforcement had been ready for Wednesday’s crowd, things would have looked a lot different, he said.
The U. S. Capitol Police did not respond to req uests for comment Saturday.
With any indication that there was going to be a crowd of that size that included “troublemakers,” Larkin said, law enforcement should have established a “hard- line,” far away fromthe Capitol. Instead of dotting bike rack barriers with officers, they would have been shoulder- to- shoulder in echelons with reinforcement from horses and dogs.
“You do not want a fight at the doors — you’re gonna lose,” he said. “At that point, it’s completely a reaction.”
Beyond the lack of leadership, Larkin is concerned about the morale among the Capitol Police force. Officer Brian D. Sicknick, one of five dead, died from his injuries after he reportedly was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. Law enforcement failed to secure the perimeter and was defeated when hundreds of angry protesters scaled walls and broke windows to enter the building.
Larkin said their primary goal should have been to protect human life. An officer died after being attacked, a woman was fatally shot, and three other demonstrators died after medical emergencies.
“You can imagine the morale within that department is probably at the lowest it’s ever been in its history,” Larkin said.
In the wake of Wednesday’s insurrection, Trump has been permanently suspended by popular social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Several top administration officials have resigned, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called Congress back to the Capitol on Monday to begin impeachment proceedings. If impeached, Trump would be the first president in history to be impeached twice.
Despite the damage done, Larkin said he believes the majority of demonstrators were there to exercise free speech peacefully.