‘The Worst I’ve Seen’: Capitol Police Face Scrutiny For Lack Of Transparency By Tom Dreisbach May 7, 2021 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.