The US Capitol Police is struggling to meet existing mission requirements in the aftermath of this year’s second attack at the complex, union chief Gus Papathanasiou has said.
In a statement this weekend, NBC News reports, the union chief says the agency is approaching “a crisis in morale and force numbers” just as calls for heightened security are renewed in the aftermath of the death of Capitol Police officer William Billy Evans on Friday.
One Capitol police officer was killed Friday, and another injured, after a male suspect rammed them with a car at a north entrance to the U.S. Capitol. Some security fencing was removed a week ago after heightened security following the January 6 attack at the Capitol.
Members of the national guard were seen on Friday deploying toward the Capitol barrier following the incident.
Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, appointed by house speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to review Capitol security measures, told ABC’s “This Week” that Capitol Police “are going to have to recruit hard” in order to fulfil the security measures his task force proposed last month.
The plan calls for expanding the force by 1,100 officers and filling approximately 300 current vacancies. He also asked for more mobile or retractable fencing.
Capitol Police union chairman, Gus Papathanasiou has now called on Congress to implement the proposal but stated that morale is low in the force with some officers ready to retire while others are willing to change jobs.
“We are struggling to meet existing mission requirements even with the officers working massive amounts of forced overtime,” Papathanasiou said, adding that the agency is down 233 officers below its normally 2,000-member force.
“In the next 3-5 years we have another 500 officers who will be eligible to retire. Many of these officers could put in their retirement papers tomorrow. I’ve had many younger officers confide in me that they’re actively looking at other agencies and departments right now.”
“We have now lost two officers in the line of duty this year,” he said.
“Another officer has taken his own life and we have 80 officers who were seriously injured in the insurrection. Some of those injured officers may never return to duty.”