Procedures Are Everything: Capitol Police Didn’t Have One for Handling the Attack on Congress
The answer to the desperate question on Jan. 6th was “No”
This essay is one in a series about the importance of plans and
procedures and the role they play in leadership and decision-making.The Crisis of All Crises Had No Plan or Procedure
The worst crisis we could imagine in the United States happened and there was no procedure in place for how to handle it. That created a crisis on top of a crisis.
Let’s look at what happened and what didn’t happen in regard to procedures at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, and then examine the resulting confusion, wasted time, danger, and national security threat.
The Question That Should Never Need to Be Asked
It was the question the Capitol Police asked out loud as the United States Capitol Building was being breached by riotous attackers.
“Does Anybody Have a Plan?”
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Rules Committees published a report in June 2021 that assessed the security and intelligence failures surrounding the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
There were many findings. Here’s one of them:
“Capitol Police didn’t have a comprehensive staffing plan, and their command structure broke down because of problems with radio communications with front-line officers. During the attack, an officer recalled hearing a lieutenant repeatedly ask over the radio, “Does anybody have a plan?” — June 8, 2021 USA Today article
Who’s In Charge?
It’s incomprehensible that a police lieutenant at the U.S. Capitol had no idea what to do when the physical center of American democracy was attacked.
During the Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing, part of the analysis of what didn’t work on January 6th was “overuse of the radio” by Capitol Police.
Of course, there was “overuse” — The radio was their lifeline. Capitol police officers used it non-stop because there was nothing else. They were left in a desert with no plan, no procedure, no leadership, and no clue what to do. All of that while death was staring them in the face.
Professionals shouldn’t panic, but in this case, of extreme negligence by the agency and leadership, panic was possibly the only appropriate response.
On Second Thought — Capitol Police Did Not Panic
If they had truly panicked, the police officers protecting the Capitol Building might have drawn their firearms and started shooting. I never heard any mention of the fact that they didn’t. No one commended their restraint that avoided bloody escalation.
At least in that regard did not panic. That might be a testament to the training and skill that they did have. If they had started shooting who knows how that would have played out? Even firing into the air in an attempt to scare the rioters into retreating could have caused things to go south quite easily. If any of the militia dudes had guns they likely would have shot back.
All of their actions were an attempt to contain and de-escalate. However, de-escalation by the Capitol police was impossible because of how outnumbered they were.
Federal Intelligence Agencies Failed to Protect the United States
“Top federal intelligence agencies failed to adequately warn law enforcement officials before the Jan. 6 riot that pro-Trump extremists were threatening violence, including plans to “storm the Capitol,” infiltrate its tunnel system and “bring guns,” according to a new report by two Senate committees that outlines large-scale failures that contributed to the deadly assault.
An F.B.I. memo on Jan. 5 warning of people traveling to Washington for “war” at the Capitol never made its way to top law enforcement officials. The Capitol Police failed to widely circulate information from its intelligence unit that supporters of President Donald J. Trump were posting online about pressuring lawmakers to overturn his election loss.” — Does Anybody Have a Plan? Senate Report Details Jan. 6 Security Failures, NYT, June 8, 2021
When Inter-Agency Communication and Procedures Fail
The report referenced in the New York Times article above provides a shocking account of the failure of both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
Page 30 of the report states,
“in a January 5 meeting with USCP leadership, members of the Capitol Police Board, and officials from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and DCNG, no entity “provided any intelligence indicating that there would be a coordinated violent attack on the United States Capitol by thousands of well-equipped armed insurrectionists.”
This is more shocking than the Capital Police having no plan.
These procedural failures were due to a lack of information, an obvious crisis not being taken seriously, and/or a “look the other way” attitude that resulted in a nightmare and could have turned into a bloodbath with a dead Vice President and members of Congress. No matter what was behind the procedural failures of every security agency, what happened on 1/6 was a significant national security threat.
The Most Powerful Country in the World Was Unprepared for Attack
The United States should hang its head in shame after the exposure of how unprepared and ill-equipped our Capitol Police were when the lives of members of the United States Congress were at stake.
We lucked out. The attack on the Capitol Building easily could have resulted in a massacre of our lawmakers but somehow we managed to avoid it. Though tragically police officers were severely injured and lives were lost.
On December 7, 2021, the Senate Rules Committee received an update from the Capitol Police Inspector General on changes that had been made in the eleven months since the attack:
In the video above you’ll hear this:
Senator Klobucher: “In your report on command and control issues you found that there was no plan. The department did not have adequate procedures for coordinated emergency responses…there was a lack of direction about what to do about the attack. Can you elaborate on what was lacking in this area on January 6th and how that’s changed?”
Capitol Police Inspector General: “First, they have hired from the outside a subject matter expert for an operational plan. The intelligence division analysts are attending roll calls providing briefings to the officers, as well as to the command staff. So they are already now receiving daily briefings and receiving the appropriate threat assessments. Every officer has been provided a government cell phone for any alerts on campus.”
I was stunned to find out that the U.S. Capitol Police needed to hire an outside consultant to develop their operating procedures and plan.
So, there was no one in the Capitol Police leadership or within any related government agency who had the skills to develop a procedural plan for an attack on the Capitol?
How is that possible?
Every Organization Needs Written Procedures and Crisis Plans
No one would argue that the security detail that protects the Capitol Building and members of Congress needs a top-notch crisis plan with specific procedures to follow and a clear chain of command, but do small nonprofits need such detailed procedures?
You bet they do!
Obviously, the amount and type should be customized for each organization, but appropriate plans and procedures must be developed.
An organization’s Policies & Procedures Manual includes its personnel policies and serves as a guide that explains the rules and regulations, as well as the rights and responsibilities of employees. It also provides a description of the mission and operation of a company or organization. And of course, any plans and procedures for a crisis.
For more on this read Organizational Processes & Procedures: How to Create & Strengthen Them
For more about procedures, the role of leaders, and decision-making, read these other essays in this series:
Leaders Have a Plan: When They Don’t They Create One on the Fly
School Crisis Preparedness: Why is it Rare Rather Than Required?
Christine Green helps small organizations create or improve their Policies & Procedures.
