With the four year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection coming up in less than a week, U.S. Capitol Police said they are prepared for anything that might come up.
It’s the day that Congress meets to formally count the electoral votes following the presidential election. It also marks the anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021 — that disastrous day when a violent mob stormed the Capitol Building.
“We cannot be taken by surprise again,” said Tom Manger, chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Manger, who was not leading the department when the Capitol riot broke out, told WTOP that things have changed quite a bit since he became chief in July of 2021.
The police force has added new equipment, along with more staffing, resources and training.
Manger said security around the Capitol would be “night and day” next week, compared to what it was four years ago.
“Officers have more confidence that they’ve got what they need,” Manger said. “We have put plans in place and have gotten our tactics to a point where we are able to respond quickly and to resolve things quickly.”
Concern has been hanging in the air for many voters across the country.
According to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, voters approached the November presidential election with deep unease about what could follow, including the potential for political violence.
About four in 10 registered voters said they were “extremely” or “very” concerned about violent attempts to overturn the results after the election.
“There will be layers of security,” Manger said. “We have just trained and trained and trained over the last four years.”
More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes related to Jan. 6, which disrupted the peaceful transfer of presidential power for the first time in the nation’s history.
Over 1,000 rioters have been convicted and sentenced. Roughly 650 of them received prison time ranging from a few days to 22 years.
Prosecutors with the Justice Department have argued in many cases that a prison sentence is necessary to deter convicted Capitol rioters from engaging in more politically motivated violence. However, President-elect Donald Trump said he is looking to pardon his supporters involved in the attack.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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