The search is on for the U.S. Capitol Police force’s next leader, and the union is speaking out on who it would prefer to see as chief.
Capitol Police Union Chairman Gus Papathanasiou told WTOP that the rank-and-file are not in favor of an outside candidate for the job.
He also said none of the recent hires in the role, like Terry Gainer, Kim Dine and most recently, Steve Sund, have had “great success” and were all brought in from outside the department.
Sund resigned after the Capitol riot following criticism of his response to the events on January 6. A few days later, the department designated Yogananda Pittman as the department’s acting chief.
Papathanassiou said the union has taken a no-confidence vote against Pittman, adding that the current senior leaders in the department are part of the problems happening in the agency.
Instead, the union supports current Capitol Police Inspector Tom Lloyd for the job.
“He’s got the support of a lot of these officers, and he understands a lot of these officers,” Papathanassiou said.
A new chief could be selected by early summer, the Capitol Police Board said. In a statement, the police board says it’s seeking a transformative leader who can inspire and usher change.
The Police Executive Research Forum, a D.C.-based police research and policy organization, will assist with the recruitment effort.
