Capitol Police knew security precaution lapsed ahead of Paul Pelosi attack
Source: Roll Call
Posted November 1, 2023 at 1:18pm
The Capitol Police had arranged to have a police presence continuously outside the San Francisco home of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she was not there, but the agency knew that security precaution lapsed for months ahead of the October 2022 break-in and attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi. The agency for a time contracted with the San Francisco Police Department to have at least a vehicle outside the Pelosi residence, but the SFPD ended that arrangement for “protective services” in 2021, an internal Capitol Police memo reviewed by CQ Roll Call states.
The Capitol Police, which is ultimately responsible for the safety of the speaker, took some steps to restart the SFPD post at the house over the course of the next year, according to that internal memo. But the department only “reestablished” the “24/7 residential coverage” after the attack that left Paul Pelosi lying in a pool of blood with a skull fracture. There is no way to know how the events that night might have unfolded differently if a vehicle or uniformed officer had been posted outside. Such a post may be a deterrent for vandals and attackers, and an officer might notice nefarious activity or provide an almost immediate response in an emergency, security experts say.
San Francisco officers entered the front door around 19 minutes after the attacker broke through a glass patio door and about six minutes after Paul Pelosi hung up with a 911 dispatcher, according to timelines from authorities and prosecutors. Authorities said the attacker told officers he planned to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage and threatened to break her kneecaps, but she and her protective detail were in Washington.
The Capitol Police, which is responsible for protection of members of Congress and particularly the speaker and other leaders, completed an “Incident After-Action Review” of the attack that has not been made public. An internal memo about that review to Chief J. Thomas Manger reveals new details and how the department cast blame for the missing police presence on long-standing policies, budget shortfalls and unresponsive San Francisco officials.
Read more: https://rollcall.com/2023/11/01/capitol-police-knew-security-precaution-lapsed-ahead-of-paul-pelosi-attack/
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