DC Police Agencies On Guard To Protect City On Anniversary Of Jan. 6 Capitol Attack

WASHINGTON, DC — Police agencies in the Washington, D.C., area are on guard against any possible trouble on Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Numerous events are planned in D.C. on Thursday to mark the one-year anniversary of the attack, including President Joe Biden's address to the nation in the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall.

"For the first time in our history, a president had not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol. But they failed," Biden said Thursday morning. "On this day of remembrance, we must make sure such an attack never, never happens again."

With all the activities and demonstrations scheduled for Thursday in the District of Columbia, the Metropolitan Police Department said it "will be monitoring and assessing the activities leading up to and on January 6 in collaboration with our local and federal law enforcement partners."

"MPD members will have a visible presence around the city during this time," the department said in a statement.

The MPD, whose members fought hard on Jan. 6, 2021, to protect the Capitol, also is encouraging the public to remain vigilant.

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Alerts went out to D.C. area residents on Wednesday, asking them to "help keep DC safe and always report suspicious activity. If you see something, say something! Don’t assume someone else will." The MPD has a tool for the public to report any suspicious activity.

After its failure to protect the Capitol a year ago, the U.S. Capitol Police contends it is now more prepared than ever to protect the building against a breach similar to Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of now-former President Donald Trump who tried to block certification of Biden's election.

Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger told a Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday that "we're going to get tested again” and that the Capitol Police will be prepared the next time.

Manger said the Capitol Police have implemented most of the 103 recommendations for improvement made by the inspector general in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack.

“Today, I am confident that the U.S. Capitol Police Department has made significant progress addressing the deficiencies that impacted the department’s response on Jan. 6,” Manger told the committee. “And while more work remains to be done, the men and women of the Capitol Police stand ready to fulfill their mission each and every day.”

At the hearing, titled "Oversight of the U.S. Capitol Police Following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol," Manger said his agency is “sharing information better” now and “People know what their responsibilities are.”

Manger, who was sworn in as the new chief leader in July, said the force is stronger and better equipped to handle an attack against the Capitol or lawmakers than it was a year ago.