Dear Friend,
The Capitol Police need to answer for what happened last Wednesday.
Despite promises to members of Congress, the Capitol Police were
completely unprepared for the mob of right-wing insurrectionists who
overran the Capitol building. An even worse disaster was only narrowly
averted. The rioters were armed and dangerous and aimed at the heart of
our democracy.^1,2
The Washington Post has recognized Demand Progress as "one of the few
advocacy groups that acts as a watchdog on Capitol Police."^3 Right now,
we need your help to hold the Capitol Police accountable so that last
week’s events are never repeated.
[ [link removed] ]Will you donate to help demand that Congress hold hearings on and make
major reforms to the Capitol Police?
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Many people warned the Capitol Police about the possibility of violence at
the Capitol.^4
The gathering beforehand was advertised far and wide on social media.
Donald Trump tweeted about it.
The rioters who entered the Capitol were armed with pipe bombs, guns, and
tasers.^5 It’s clear now that the lives of the members of Congress were in
danger. The Capitol Police should explain how they failed so badly, and
Congress should explain why they did not provide more oversight.
But the Capitol Police has zero transparency and almost no accountability.
The Inspector General who oversees the force doesn’t publicly publish
reports. The Capitol Police files perfunctory arrest summaries with almost
no detail. And the Freedom of Information Act does not apply to them.^6
Congress keeps funding the Capitol Police as if it’s a police force
protecting millions of people. The current budget is $515 million a year—a
tenth of Congress’ entire budget and the equivalent of a large city. But
no one knows how the money is spent, and there are persistent allegations
of racism and discrimination.^7
Demand Progress has been the only organization that has worked for years
to bring accountability to the Capitol Police. We were instrumental in
getting legislation enacted that finally brought some transparency to
them, but it only became law in the last few weeks. Now we’re pressuring
Congress to hold hearings on sacking of the Capitol that took place on
January 6.
[ [link removed] ]Will you donate to help hold the Capitol Police responsible for not
protecting Congress on January 6?
Thanks for standing with us.
Robert Cruickshank,
Demand Progress
[ [link removed] ]DONATE
Sources:
1. Associated Press, "Capitol Police rejected offers of federal help to
quell mob," [ [link removed] ]January 7, 2020
2. Tweet by Timothy Burke, [ [link removed] ]January 6, 2020
3. The Washington Post, "With big budget but little accountability,
long-troubled Capitol Police face questions after siege," [ [link removed] ]January 12,
2021
4. NBC News, "FBI, NYPD told Capitol Police about possibility of violence
before riot, senior officials say," [ [link removed] ]January 10, 2021
5. The New York Times, "Today’s Rampage at the Capitol, as It Happened,"
[ [link removed] ]January 6, 2021
6. First Branch Forecast, "A Primer on the Capitol Police: What We Know
From Two Years of Research," [ [link removed] ]January 6, 2021
7. Ibid.
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