A survey of 315 Capitol police found that law enforcement “felt discouraged or hesitant to use force” on Jan. 6 when the U.S. Capitol was invaded by a mafia trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The 115-page report issued by the Government Accountability Office nearly 14 months after the Capitol uprising has urged U.S. Capitol police to provide additional training on crowd control as well as pre-operational guidance to officers on the terrain.
A total of 190 respondents expressed concerns or made suggestions related to the exchange of information, with an offer that “had information on the morning of the 6th, apart from” preparing for a long day “, they would have had a different mindset as the group approached. “
More than half of the officers surveyed said the orientation and intelligence shared before and during the attack were “unclear” or “not provided”.
According to the report, approximately 150 officers recalled 293 incidents of use of force, with the classification of push with open hand as the most prominent technique used (91 incidents), followed by clubs (83 incidents) and withdrawal of a holster firearm (37). In 17 cases, officers reported pointing a gun at a person, although only one officer opened fire.
More than half of respondents said more instruction was needed, with dozens of officers requesting more courses on “controlling very large or violent crowds,” as well as “more realistic training.”
The Office of Government Accountability (GAO), a Congressional surveillance agency, found that after the seven-hour attack, about 114 U.S. Capitol police officers reported injuries. The insurgency caused $ 1.5 million in damage to the U.S. Capitol building.
About a quarter of respondents were “discouraged or hesitant to use force for fear of disciplinary action.” Several respondents noted that they did not feel empowered to make decisions about the use of force without the approval of supervisors and admitted that “optics was affecting security decisions.”
“I saw too many cases where officers were wondering if they could use force because they were afraid of getting into trouble,” a survey agent noted. “If ever there was a time when the force was appropriate, it would be a mob that would be violently forced into the Capitol.” However, several respondents also said they felt the department would not support them, “even when force is used in justifiable circumstances,” according to the audit.
The GAO determined that the department’s discussions with officers after the attack were a “positive step”, but considered that misconceptions related to the use of force were “persistent both before and after the attack”. “.
“The events of January 6, 2021 raised important questions about whether Capitol police are adequately prepared to respond effectively and efficiently in the current threatening environment,” the report concluded. Although investigators found that Capitol police had taken “some positive first steps,” the agency “needs to better understand and address the possible hesitations of officers in using force, concerns with the department, and morality “.
Last month, the GAO concluded that the “Capitol police process for assessing and mitigating physical security risks at the Capitol complex is not complete or documented.” In a separate report issued a year after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Congressional investigative arm determined that the U.S. Capitol Police Board “is not fulfilling its responsibility to oversee the protection of Congress. and the Capitol Building by the Capitol Police. “
In a statement shared with CBS News on Monday, U.S. Capitol police said the department “agrees[s] with the recommendations, which we have already addressed. “
Add Comment