Capitol Police Union President Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement on Saturday that the Capitol Police has 233 police officers below their authorized level and may face a further shortage of personnel with the retirement of police officers in the coming years. Papathanasiou noted that the shortage is exacerbated by the continued wounds of several police officers in the January 6 attack.
The department is reeling after losing several officers this year. Officer William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the police force and a member of his “First Respondent Unit”, died after Friday’s attack, while the injured policeman on Friday was discharged from hospital. according to a police source.
Officer Brian Sicknick died after the January uprising due to injuries he sustained during the incident and another officer died of suicide after responding to the riot.
“We are struggling to meet existing mission requirements, even with officers working huge amounts of forced overtime,” said Papathanasiou. “Many younger police officers have confided to me that they are now actively looking for other agencies and departments.”
Papathanasiou endorsed the recommendations of the task force headed by retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, who called for an increase in Capitol Police personnel between several changes, and said in the task force report that the Capitol Police “was short of insufficiently equipped and inadequately trained staff to secure the Capitol and members “on January 6.
“We have to accept the fact that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Capitol is under threat from domestic, foreign and criminals who want to attack the center of our leadership in the United States,” Honoré told Wolf Blitzer of CNN in “The Situation Room” after Friday’s attack. “Capitol is a target. We need to adjust to that.”
Papathanasiou paid tribute to Evans in his statement, saying he was “highly respected in the department and his loss will not be forgotten.” He also praised the work of the police who responded to the incident on Friday and are continuing to investigate the attack, adding, “I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
“We appreciate and join the Union’s support to increase hiring, retain our current officers and implement many of the recommended security improvements as quickly as possible,” the United States Capitol Police said in a statement to CNN.
This story was updated with the release of the Capitol Policeman’s hospital wounded in Friday’s attack and a response by the Capitol Police to the union’s statement on Saturday.