'The Worst I've Seen': Capitol Police Face Scrutiny For Lack Of Transparency
The U.S. Capitol Police have close to 2,000 uniformed officers, more than the Atlanta Police Department.
The agency's annual budget is around half a billion dollars, which is larger than the budget for the entire Detroit Police Department.
But until the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, few Americans were likely aware of the police force dedicated to protecting Congress.
Not anymore.
Capitol Police are now facing widespread criticism for the failure to prevent a pro-Trump mob from storming the building and putting members of Congress, the vice president, congressional staff and their own officers at serious risk. And advocates for government accountability say the Capitol Police's penchant for secrecy only exacerbated these failures.
When it comes to transparency, the Capitol Police are "the worst I've seen," said Daniel Schuman, policy director for the group Demand Progress.
The Capitol Police still have not publicly identified the officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt, the 35-year-old Air Force veteran killed during the Capitol riot, or provided a thorough account of the shooting.
Babbitt was seen on video inside the Capitol carrying a backpack, and was flanked by rioters using a pole and a helmet to try force their way past a barricaded door into the Speaker's Lobby.
