Capitol Police to Open Field Offices Outside D.C.
To protect against and track potential threats to lawmakers, the Capitol police take a page from the U.S. Secret Service.
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In the wake of the Jan. 6 riot, the United States Capitol Police is planning to expand operations outside Washington in an effort to better protect lawmakers, beginning with the opening of field offices in California and Florida, reports the New York Times. A spokesman for the department said the plan was to open several additional regional offices to be able to monitor and quickly investigate threats against lawmakers wherever they occur, much like the Secret Service, which has field offices in multiple states and countries.
Yogananda D. Pittman, the Capitol police’s acting chief, has testified before Congress that total threats against lawmakers have doubled since 2017, with an “overwhelming majority of suspects residing outside” the capital region. In addition, the agency said it had instituted better training, purchased more protective equipment and provided more robust mental health services for officers since the January 6 attack.
