The violence that broke out when rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building four years ago on Jan. 6 is still fresh in peoples’ minds around the D.C. region, and law enforcement has been getting ready as that date quickly approaches after another divisive election.
It is also when Congress meets to formally count the electoral votes following a presidential election.
“We cannot be taken by surprise again,” said Tom Manger, chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Manger, who was not leading the department when the Capitol riot broke out, told WTOP things have changed quite a bit since he first became chief in July of 2021. The police force has added new equipment along with more staffing, resources and training.
Manger said security around the Capitol would be “night and day” for this coming January, compared to what it was four years ago.
“Officers have more confidence that they’ve got what they need,” Manger said. “We have put plans in place and have gotten our tactics to a point where we are able to respond quickly and to resolve things quickly.”
Manger’s officers won’t be alone. It will have help from agencies around the country that are providing officers, adding to the security in the nation’s capital between Jan. 6 and the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration.
Manger said officers from about 20 different jurisdictions recently took part in a training exercise as part of their preparation.
“Departments feel like it’s their duty and they want to be a part of ensuring Congress gets their job done,” Manger said.
Managing the ‘delicate balance’
On Tuesday, D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith said her department would get assistance from about 4,000 officers coming from various agencies nationwide for the inauguration.
People will notice a lot of physical changes around D.C. as security is ramped up.
“Planning has been for six months,” said Matt McCool, special agent in charge for the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office.
Both McCool and Manger spoke Wednesday at a meeting hosted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, a nonprofit made up of elected officials in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
McCool said the public can expect to see an event like the pre-COVID inauguration in 2017 in terms of scope and security impacts. That will include antiscale fencing, road closures, vehicle checkpoints, magnetometers and parking restrictions.
“As always, security planning is a delicate balance between ensuring the safety of our ‘protectees’ — the public — and reducing the impacts to the community as much as possible,” McCool said.
He said more information would be released related to the community impact as Inauguration Day gets closer.
“This will give citizens and business owners critical information they need to make decisions about transportation, operating hours, staffing and logistic concerns,” said McCool.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
