Skip to main content

A year after the Capitol riot, work remains to prevent another attack

Violence In America,January 6,Capitol Chaos

From the Left

The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol led to a transformation of security for the citadel of democracy and members of Congress. One year later, a new team of Capitol security leaders is in place, and a series of congressional committees is still investigating what went wrong that day.

But many say plenty of work remains to ensure that another Jan. 6 never happens again.

"My biggest concern is getting our staffing up," said Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, who came on board in July. "But in terms of responding to events like the 6th, we're so much better prepared than we were a year ago."

In response to the attack, Capitol Police have ramped up intelligence gathering, major event security and its communications. There's also more coordination between the department and other agencies.

But the agency must also contend with a new set of challenges in a post-Jan. 6 world. Several Capitol Police officers died after the attack, more than 80 were injured and more than 130 quit this past year.

And the workload is only growing. In 2021, Capitol Police saw 9,600 threats against lawmakers, more than double the tally five years earlier.

 

AllSides Picks

More News about Violence in America

News from the Left

News from the Center

News from the Right