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A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands guard outside the Capitol ahead of the inauguration for President Biden on Jan. 20. Yegor Aleyev/Tass via Getty Images
The agency s annual budget is around half a billion dollars, which is larger than the budget for the entire Detroit Police Department.
But until the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, few Americans were likely aware of the police force dedicated to protecting Congress.
Not anymore.
Capitol Police are now facing widespread criticism for the failure to prevent a pro-Trump mob from storming the building and putting members of Congress, the vice president, congressional staff and their own officers at serious risk. And advocates for government accountability say the Capitol Police s penchant for secrecy only exacerbated these failures.
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A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands guard outside the Capitol ahead of the inauguration for President Biden on Jan. 20.
The agency s annual budget is around half a billion dollars, which is larger than the budget for the entire Detroit Police Department.
But until the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, few Americans were likely aware of the police force dedicated to protecting Congress.
Not anymore.
Capitol Police are now facing widespread criticism for the failure to prevent a pro-Trump mob from storming the building and putting members of Congress, the vice president, congressional staff and their own officers at serious risk. And advocates for government accountability say the Capitol Police s penchant for secrecy only exacerbated these failures.
4 slides Credit: Tass via Getty Images The Worst I ve Seen : Capitol Police Face Scrutiny For Lack Of Transparency May 07, 2021
The U.S. Capitol Police have close to 2,000 uniformed officers, more than the Atlanta Police Department.
The agency s annual budget is around half a billion dollars, which is larger than the budget for the entire Detroit Police Department.
But until the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, few Americans were likely aware of the police force dedicated to protecting Congress.
Not anymore.
Capitol Police are now facing widespread criticism for the failure to prevent a pro-Trump mob from storming the building and putting members of Congress, the vice president, congressional staff and their own officers at serious risk. And advocates for government accountability say the Capitol Police s penchant for secrecy only exacerbated these failures.
Transcript: Leadership During Crisis: D C Mayor Muriel E Bowser washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
âThere Was a Big Battle in Hereâ: Lawyers Tour Capitol as a Crime Scene
Defense lawyers representing suspects in the riot are being given tours of the Capitol to help them visualize what took place on Jan. 6.
Security forces drew their weapons as rioters tried to break into the House chamber on Jan. 6.Credit.J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press
May 5, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON â âThis is the speakerâs lobby,â said Thomas Loyd, the Capitol Police inspector, his voice rising so those in the back could hear. âThis is where the shooting took place.â
The two dozen defense lawyers in front of him â who represented some of the 400 people charged in connection with the mob attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 â stopped chatting, looked around the carpeted corridor outside the House chamber and started taking notes.