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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.
BYRON YORK
On June 14, 2017, a team of Republican lawmakers went to an athletic field in Alexandria, Virginia, to practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. As they worked out, a man armed with a semiautomatic rifle and pistol approached and opened fire.
Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Republican whip, was gravely wounded. A lobbyist was also seriously hurt, and a congressional aide and Capitol Police officer were wounded, as well. The shooter, James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, was an active Bernie Sanders supporter who hated Republicans and particularly hated then-President Donald Trump. Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy, he posted on his Facebook page. It s Time to Destroy Trump and Co.
BYRON YORK
On June 14, 2017, a team of Republican lawmakers went to an athletic field in Alexandria, Virginia, to practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. As they worked out, a man armed with a semiautomatic rifle and pistol approached and opened fire.
Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Republican whip, was gravely wounded. A lobbyist was also seriously hurt, and a congressional aide and Capitol Police officer were wounded, as well. The shooter, James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, was an active Bernie Sanders supporter who hated Republicans and particularly hated then-President Donald Trump. Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy, he posted on his Facebook page. It s Time to Destroy Trump and Co.