Capital police officers gave a unanimous vote of no confidence in their leaders following the January 6 riot at the Capital that left one officer dead and many injured, in addition to several suicides connected to the incident.
The U.S. Capitol Police Labor Committee, the union representing thousands of Capitol police officers, announced in a press release reported by CBS News that 92% of their members voted that they had a lack of confidence in leadership. Specifically, their disapproval was aimed at Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman and six other highly ranked members in the department.
The U.S. Capitol Police remains in the crosshairs following the event, despite former Chief Steven Sund resigning the day after.
In a news release from the union, rank and file police officers gave a resounding vote of no confidence in leadership. Union chairman Gus Papathanasiou said in the statement, “Our leadership clearly failed us. We know because we were there.”
The press released stated that the union pushed a vote of no confidence following review of the riot at the Capitol. It read, “The board took this unprecedented step after reviewing details of the events on, and leading up to, January 6th and the subsequent deaths of 6 people, and injuries to approximately 140 Capitol and Metropolitan Police officers.”
In a testimony to congress following the Capitol protest, Acting Chief Pittman admitted that the department was aware that a protest with a “strong potential for violence” was likely, but failed to prevent it from getting out of hand.
In response to the union’s vote, Pittman released a sympathetic statement assuring the department that leadership would make changes. She said, “It’s been just over one month since one of our nation’s darkest days, and the trauma is still incredibly raw and difficult for the many officers who fought heroically on the 6th. Since being sworn in on January 8th, my executive team and I have made the well-being of our officers our top priority,” she said. “While progress has been made, more work remains. And I am committed to ensuring every officer gets what they need and deserve.”
