US Capitol Police Lack Cultural, Training Changes After Jan. 6 Attacks

In Summary

It’s been nearly a year since a Trump-supporting mob stormed the US Capitol, and the police department still has a lot of internal changes to make to ensure such attacks don’t happen again. 

Inspector General Michael Bolton submitted 104 recommendations to Capitol Hill police following the January 6 attacks by a Trump-supporting mob—but only about a quarter of them have been carried out nearly a year later. 

CNN reported during his testimony to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, Bolton said he has not spoken with new Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger since their initial meeting in August, and the department has not implemented many of the 200 security measures it promised. 

RELATED: Voting Rights Activists Arrested After March on Capitol Hill 

Bolton’s testimony comes on the heels of the department losing officers at higher rates, with around 200 cops retiring or departing the agency this year and about 130 leaving since January 1. The department typically sees around 90 departures annually, per CNN. 

“The Department still lacks the overall training infrastructure to meet the needs of the Department, the level of Intelligence gathering and expertise needed, and an overall cultural change needed to move the department into a protective agency as opposed to a traditional Police Department,” Bolton told lawmakers, per CNN. 

RELATED: Capitol Police Recommends Disciplinary Action Against 6 Officers 

Capitol Police producing a department-wide operational plan for all large-scale events at the capitol, Congress providing sufficient funding to support training and equipment requirements and the appointment of a new police chief, which was implemented in July, were among the recommendations made by Bolton and Senator Amy Klobuchar.

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