It was just a matter of time before the truth emerged.
U.S. Capitol Police didn’t adequately respond to frantic calls for help from officers when they pressed panic buttons on their radios seeking immediate backup as scores of protesters beat officers with bats, poles, and other weapons, an inspector general’s report found.
The report obtained by The Associated Press offered new details about the shortcomings by law enforcement during the Jan. 6 violent protest at the Capitol.
The report found that most of the emergency activations from individual officers’ radios were never simulcast on police radio, a standard protocol designed to spread the word to other officers about emergencies and crises. The on-duty watch commander appears not to have been made aware of at least some of the system activations, the report said.
Capitol Police said senior department officials had been using their cellphones on Jan. 6 to communicate orders to others down the chain of command in an effort to limit the number of radio transmissions being broadcast.
The findings on the emergency radio system are included in a “flash report” by the Capitol Police inspector general, the fifth in an ongoing series of assessments of how the agency fell short in its handling of Jan. 6 and how it can do better in the future. It follows earlier reports that have focused on issues including the agency’s handling of threat assessments and approach to civil disturbances and that, taken together, have shown a pattern of flawed preparation for — and response to — the violence of that day.
The July report focuses on deficiencies inside the Capitol Police Command and Coordination Bureau, which among other responsibilities prepares for special events and manages the response to emergencies at the Capitol complex. The inspector general detailed what it said were outdated and vague policies and procedures as well as problems in preparedness, coordination, and emergency planning.
Capitol Police said in a statement that its policies and procedures were being updated and that “a comprehensive training plan is being developed.”
A law enforcement official said because so many officers were pressing their panic buttons, fellow officers couldn’t respond to all of the calls at once and needed to prioritize their emergency responses. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the report because it has not been publicly released.
Even so, the inspector general report says, the emergency system was not handled properly.
Of the 36 emergency system activations that day, the inspector general located only 13 in the transcripts of radio traffic. Though there may be additional activations that were not reflected in the transcripts, “it is clear not all were simulcast,” the report said.
In addition, the report said, Command Center officials did not always ensure that the on-duty watch commander was even aware of the system activations.
The findings reflect a notable departure from the way the system is supposed to work.
Author: Asa McCue
These content links are provided by Content.ad. Both Content.ad and the web site upon which the links are displayed may receive compensation when readers click on these links. Some of the content you are redirected to may be sponsored content. View our privacy policy here.
To learn how you can use Content.ad to drive visitors to your content or add this service to your site, please contact us at [email protected].
Family-Friendly Content
Website owners select the type of content that appears in our units. However, if you would like to ensure that Content.ad always displays family-friendly content on this device, regardless of what site you are on, check the option below. Learn More