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The main issue is that this isn't what the Capitol police are optimized for. They are meant to handle the run-of-the-mill protesters, and prepare for an active

The main issue is that this isn't what the Capitol police are optimized for. They are meant to handle the run-of-the-mill protesters, and prepare for an active shooter or bomb threat. A mob of people breaking in is very different. Handguns are much less useful when you've got 20 people breaking through the windows. You can't try to arrest one of them without being swarmed by the others, and if you end up firing a shot the crowd will panic and attack you and you simply don't have enough firepower or distance. To defend against a mob, you need many more officers (enough to stand side by side at relevant choke points) equipped with riot gear and tear gas to disperse the crowd. And then a Quick Reaction Force on standby with guns and nonlethal weapons who can reinforce any area where the mob is threatening to break through. Without the numbers and the right equipment for the situation, the mob was able to break through and then the priority had to become securing the congresspeople until sufficient force could arrive to help clear.

giarc 6y ago
We've all seen the side by side image comparison of the BLM protest response (guys in military get-up standing shoulder to shoulder on the steps) and the Trump "Stop The Steal" protest (a handful of cops). For whatever reason, they didn't think a group of angry protestors who said they were going to do this, would actually do this.
- openasocket 6y ago
  Yeah, and you can bet there will be some very long and very serious investigations over this. Congress is plenty pissed off, and the Capitol Police work for them (I believe they technically are a part of the legislative branch, not the executive). And I think every law enforcement agent in the district should be ashamed of what happened. I should point out that the photo going around showing the difference between the BLM response and the response to this mob is of the DC national guard, not Capitol Police. The DC national guard was not mobilized when the rioting started yesterday. Apparently it was requested but the DoD had not approved it. You can bet there will be some investigations there, and people involved will try to hide themselves in the bureaucracy and pointing fingers. My bet is that, in a year or two, we'll see some serious reforms in this area. Probably an expedited procedure for mobilizing the DC National Guard, or Congress will be so angry they will demand an expansion of the Capitol Police force, since that force works directly for them.
  - giarc 6y ago
    My issue (and I'm not even an American) is why wasn't a large police presence there from the start? The Proud Boys, Q groups etc made it very clear this was going to happen. People can claim they weren't being serious, it was all just chest pounding prior to Jan 6 but why weren't they prepared for the most obvious outcome?

giarc 6y ago

We've all seen the side by side image comparison of the BLM protest response (guys in military get-up standing shoulder to shoulder on the steps) and the Trump "Stop The Steal" protest (a handful of cops). For whatever reason, they didn't think a group of angry protestors who said they were going to do this, would actually do this.

openasocket 6y ago
Yeah, and you can bet there will be some very long and very serious investigations over this. Congress is plenty pissed off, and the Capitol Police work for them (I believe they technically are a part of the legislative branch, not the executive). And I think every law enforcement agent in the district should be ashamed of what happened. I should point out that the photo going around showing the difference between the BLM response and the response to this mob is of the DC national guard, not Capitol Police. The DC national guard was not mobilized when the rioting started yesterday. Apparently it was requested but the DoD had not approved it. You can bet there will be some investigations there, and people involved will try to hide themselves in the bureaucracy and pointing fingers. My bet is that, in a year or two, we'll see some serious reforms in this area. Probably an expedited procedure for mobilizing the DC National Guard, or Congress will be so angry they will demand an expansion of the Capitol Police force, since that force works directly for them.
- giarc 6y ago
  My issue (and I'm not even an American) is why wasn't a large police presence there from the start? The Proud Boys, Q groups etc made it very clear this was going to happen. People can claim they weren't being serious, it was all just chest pounding prior to Jan 6 but why weren't they prepared for the most obvious outcome?