The chairman of the Capitol Police Union, Gus Papathanasiou, said in a statement on Saturday that the Capitol Police are manning 233 officers below the authorized level and that it may experience greater staff shortages as officers retire in the coming year. Papathanasiou noted the shortage was exacerbated by the persistent injuries of several officers in the January 6 attack.
The department is staggering after losing several officers this year. Officer William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force and a member of his “First Responders Unit”, died after Friday’s attack, while the officer who was injured Friday, according to law enforcement from the hospital has been released. source.
Officer Brian Sicknick died after the January uprising from injuries sustained during the incident, and another officer died by suicide after responding to the riot.
“We are struggling to meet existing mission requirements, even though the officers are working very forced overtime,” Papathanasiou said. “I have trusted many younger officers that they are currently actively looking at other agencies and departments.”
Papathanasiou endorses the recommendations of the task force led by retired army general Russel Honoré, which calls for increased Capitol police staff under various changes, and says in the task force report that the Capitol police are “understaffed” “inadequately equipped and inadequately trained to secure the Capitol and members” on January 6th.
“We must accept the fact that the Capitol is threatened 24/7 with domestic, foreign and criminal elements who may want to attack the center of our leadership in the United States,” Honoré told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “The Situation Room” following Friday’s attack. “The Capitol is a target. We have to adapt to it. “
Papathanasiou honored Evans in his statement, saying he was “well respected within the department and his loss will not be forgotten.” He also praised the work of officers who responded to the incident on Friday and went on to investigate the attack, adding: “I can not be proud of them.”
“We appreciate and support the Union for increasing the appointment, retaining our current officers and implementing many of the recommended security improvements as soon as possible,” U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement to CNN.
This story was updated with the release of the Capitol police officer wounded in the attack from the hospital on Friday and with a response from the Capitol police to the union’s statement on Saturday.