• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • Seeking the right kind of help
      “Why does that call keep haunting me?”
      Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em
      A message to those considering suicide
      The power of teamwork
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • Heroic Florida police officer rescues swimmers caught in rip current
        California deputies rescue teen dangling 700 feet in the air after...
        Washington deputy rescues injured dog from drainpipe
        “Wow, our career together is over”: Missouri police department...
        Heroic Pennsylvania officer saves father and daughter from drowning...
    • Labor
      • San Francisco “workhorse” deputy earns millions in overtime pay...
        “A financial tsunami”
        LAPD officers receive raises, bonuses
        Minnesota police force faces disbandment as chief resigns amid salary...
        We quit!
    • Tech
      • The rise of I2P
        Ann Arbor Police Department adopts AI technology to analyze body...
        Ohio law enforcement adopts powerful ballistics technology to combat...
        AI-powered surveillance program raises concerns over privacy rights...
        Chesterfield County announces real-time crime center to enhance...
    • Training
      • Investigating “swatting” incidents
        Leaders take note: A handwritten note goes a long way
        CIT training is not for everyone
        Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em
        Ohio struggles to secure permanent funding for law enforcement...
    • Policy
      • Texas enacts stricter laws to combat illegal street racing and...
        New Mexico Supreme Court clarifies police authority to question...
        New Texas law gives local law enforcement greater control over...
        Diversity in law enforcement
        Florida attorney general and John Walsh partner in new Crime Stoppers...
    • Health/Wellness
      • The emotional rucksack
        What threat does to the brain
        Seeking the right kind of help
        Working through grief
        Responding to trauma
    • Community
      • Fort Worth ISD launches inaugural criminal justice program to raise...
        Florida police department launches SPORTS initiative to build...
        Naperville police officer inspires generations of kids through reading
        Stockton P.D. launches Your Way Registry Program to protect...
        Committing to outreach
    • Offbeat
      • “It’s time to dive in”: Shaquille O’Neal joins forces with...
        “This little piggy didn’t make it to the market”:
        Seattle police find burglary suspect guzzling gasoline in victim’s...
        Univision Chicago TV crew reporting on armed robberies held at...
        California Highway Patrol arrests man on horseback for DUI
    • We Remember
      • Headstone finally marks grave of Pennsylvania officer who gave his...
        Memorial for the fallen: The sacrifice continues
        Paying Tribute to the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        “He was like a protector …”: Genesee County sheriff’s deputy...
        Deadly police pursuit claims life of 19-year-old Vermont police...
  • On the Job
    • Heroic Florida police officer rescues swimmers caught in rip current
      California deputies rescue teen dangling 700 feet in the air after...
      Washington deputy rescues injured dog from drainpipe
      “Wow, our career together is over”: Missouri police department...
      Heroic Pennsylvania officer saves father and daughter from drowning...
  • Labor
    • San Francisco “workhorse” deputy earns millions in overtime pay...
      “A financial tsunami”
      LAPD officers receive raises, bonuses
      Minnesota police force faces disbandment as chief resigns amid salary...
      We quit!
  • Tech
    • The rise of I2P
      Ann Arbor Police Department adopts AI technology to analyze body...
      Ohio law enforcement adopts powerful ballistics technology to combat...
      AI-powered surveillance program raises concerns over privacy rights...
      Chesterfield County announces real-time crime center to enhance...
  • Training
    • Investigating “swatting” incidents
      Leaders take note: A handwritten note goes a long way
      CIT training is not for everyone
      Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em
      Ohio struggles to secure permanent funding for law enforcement...
  • Policy
    • Texas enacts stricter laws to combat illegal street racing and...
      New Mexico Supreme Court clarifies police authority to question...
      New Texas law gives local law enforcement greater control over...
      Diversity in law enforcement
      Florida attorney general and John Walsh partner in new Crime Stoppers...
  • Health/Wellness
    • The emotional rucksack
      What threat does to the brain
      Seeking the right kind of help
      Working through grief
      Responding to trauma
  • Community
    • Fort Worth ISD launches inaugural criminal justice program to raise...
      Florida police department launches SPORTS initiative to build...
      Naperville police officer inspires generations of kids through reading
      Stockton P.D. launches Your Way Registry Program to protect...
      Committing to outreach
  • Offbeat
    • “It’s time to dive in”: Shaquille O’Neal joins forces with...
      “This little piggy didn’t make it to the market”:
      Seattle police find burglary suspect guzzling gasoline in victim’s...
      Univision Chicago TV crew reporting on armed robberies held at...
      California Highway Patrol arrests man on horseback for DUI
  • We Remember
    • Headstone finally marks grave of Pennsylvania officer who gave his...
      Memorial for the fallen: The sacrifice continues
      Paying Tribute to the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      “He was like a protector …”: Genesee County sheriff’s deputy...
      Deadly police pursuit claims life of 19-year-old Vermont police...
  • Between the Lines
    • Debunking the perpetual narrative of racial bias in policing
      The unspoken truth behind the recruitment and retention crisis
      The police reform goal: use of force without options
      The imprisonment of law enforcement technology
      Persecution of the LEO is classic schadenfreude
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Community

Senators seek answers from law enforcement about the capitol riot

APB Team Published March 8, 2021 @ 6:00 am PST

lev radin/Shutterstock.com

Senators pressed law enforcement agencies in charge during the January 6 Capitol riots for answers, but were left with little insight, according to a Time Magazine report.

A joint hearing was held on January 23 by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Homeland Security, and Government Affairs to address failures from law enforcement to deal with the January 6 events that left several dead and many injured.

Senators looked to key decision makers that day for understanding, bringing in the leaders of the relevant law enforcement agencies as witnesses to offer testimonies. These included former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, former House and Senate sergeants at arms Paul Irving and Michael Stenger, and the acting Chief of DC Metropolitan Police Robert Contee.

The questions revolved mainly around the issue of intelligence, and whether they could have prevented the unrest had they had more information and time to prepare.

Sund told lawmakers, “Based on the intelligence that we received, we planned for an increased level of violence at the Capitol, and that some participants may be armed. But none of the intelligence we received predicted what actually occurred. I acknowledge that under the pressure of an unprecedented attack, a number of systems broke down.”

Sund tried to shift the responsibility away from the U.S. Capitol Police towards U.S. intelligence agencies like the FBI or NSA, calling his department a “consumer” of intelligence and relying on information from other agencies to be able to make adequate preparations.

He continued, “There’s significant evidence coming out that the insurrection that occurred on the 6th was planned, coordinated well in advance. It’s that detection that I think would have been key to put the effective security in place for this event.”

Sund, Stenger, and Irving all confirmed that they had not seen the report issued by the FBI detailing online threats calling for “war” at the capitol and indicating a high probability of violence until a day before the protests. Apparently, the rally had been planned for months as part of the “Stop the Steal” campaign, but law enforcement was left with too little time to adequately prepare for the threat.

Furthermore, there were blatant discrepancies between Sund and Irving’s testimonies. Sund told senators that he had called Irving for backup just past 1 p.m., but Irving declared that his phone records show that no call was placed at that time, leaving many questions regarding the quality of communication between agencies. Contee, meanwhile, was surprised that the National Guard had not been deployed sooner.

Despite these problems, all three witnesses maintained that they prepared the best they could under the circumstances, but acknowledged that they were still at fault. Irving said, “Based on the intelligence, we all believed that the plan met the threat and that we were prepared. We now know that we had the wrong plan. As one of the senior security leaders responsible for the event, I am accountable for that. I accept that responsibility, and as you know, I have resigned my position.”

The consensus between law enforcement agencies is that there was a communication failure. Sund told the committee that he believes that the intelligence community needs to “broaden” the type of information it collects and share that with agencies.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced plans for further investigation of the event through a 9/11-style commission to address security and response issues. More hearings are also in the pipeline, including one that will come next week between the FBI, Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense.

Categories: Community

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Fort Worth ISD launches inaugural criminal justice program to raise the next generation of “homegrown heroes”
  • Heroic Florida police officer rescues swimmers caught in rip current
  • California deputies rescue teen dangling 700 feet in the air after botched stunt on state’s highest bridge
  • Washington deputy rescues injured dog from drainpipe
  • “It’s time to dive in”: Shaquille O’Neal joins forces with Los Angeles Port Police Department in recruitment drive
  • “This little piggy didn’t make it to the market”:
  • Florida police department launches SPORTS initiative to build positive community relationships
  • Seattle police find burglary suspect guzzling gasoline in victim’s garage
  • The emotional rucksack
  • Naperville police officer inspires generations of kids through reading

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

Seeking the right kind of help

Seeking the right kind of help

September 26, 2023

“Why does that call keep haunting me?”

“Why does that call keep haunting me?”

September 20, 2023

Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em

Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em

September 19, 2023

A message to those considering suicide

A message to those considering suicide

September 18, 2023

Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Options | Notice at Collection | Copyright © 2023 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.