The state of the Capitol Police has been thrust into uncertainty following the January 6 insurrection. According to a report published by The Hill on Friday, more than 70 officers have left the U.S. Capitol Police since the attack.
As the exodus continues, the department’s union said that a $1.9 billion supplemental funding package will not be enough to keep other officers from departing because they are “demoralized.
Capitol Police union chair Gus Papathanasiou said that nearly a quarter of the department’s officers are eligible to retire “in the next few years” before adding that “many younger officers considering applying to other law enforcement agencies.”
“What keeps me awake at night is not the challenge of hiring and training more police officers, but keeping the officers we have right now. We have many officers on the fence about whether to stay with this department. Since January 6th we’ve had more than 70 officers retire or resign from the department,” he said, according to The Hill.
The spending bill, which passed by a single-vote margin in the House Thursday, does include back pay for overtime hours, hazard pay and retention bonuses as well as broader access to equipment and expanded training for officers.
It also calls for the creation of a quick-reaction team that would be able to respond rapidly to events like the Jan. 6 riot as well as a range of security upgrades to the Capitol complex.
