Tom Manger takes over the U.S. Capitol Police Department: NPR

The new U.S. Capitol police chief on Friday stood in defense of the besieged agency, saying the Capitol uprising on Jan. 6 should not define the department and that changes in its actions were needed in the months that followed.

“I know how good this U.S. Capitol Police Department is. I know what kind of work these men and women have done over the years,” Tom Manger, who has four decades of law enforcement experience and who began his new role Friday, said in an interview with NPR.

“It frustrates me, as do the men and women in this department, that people must have defined in one day,” he continued. “It’s not fair and certainly not true. This is a great police administration. And yes, on January 6, it showed that some things needed to be done to make this police administration better, and those recommendations were taken to heart.”

The force faced several withered criticism for its response to the deadly Capitol crowd when lush supporters of Donald Trump, lured by the then president, descended on the complex. They sought to delay or halt the certification of President Biden’s victory in the 2020 White House race.

Numerous police officers were injured in the riots, and two who responded to the attack have since died of suicide. The limited response of other rioters, which he sometimes called for, to rioters was the subject of public debate and came under scrutiny. Congress.

The leadership of the agency was also attacked by its own officers, and the union of the department betrayed a lot a vote of no confidence for the highest leaders of forces.

Former boss Steven Sund resigned shortly after the uprising. Manger replaces Yogananda Pittman, who was the acting head of the department.

“We all want to make sure that, if you know, if we’re in a crisis, people have the ability to react to that crisis, to get the help they need as quickly as possible,” Manger said. “So that debate is ongoing. And I think everyone recognizes that we need to be able to react faster when things really go wrong.

“We are making improvements where needed. But one thing that is consistent is the quality of the men and women who wear this uniform and do this job.”

The goal of the crèche is to increase transparency for the department, along with its resources and employee morale. It also faces additional challenges, including increasing the security of MPs and trying to solve problems the threat that you will run out of money next month.

Manger retired to head the Capitol Department. He previously led forces in Fairfax and Montgomery counties, just outside Washington, DC

The role of the Capitol is his first job in running a federal police agency. He says that, although it is not like his previous gigs as a boss where he juggled with murders and robberies, there is one similar mission.

“I may not have to deal with such problems, but I will tell you, it’s the same as serving the public, trying to keep the public safe and making sure you have a police department that exists out there, well-designed in terms of serving the public. It’s a universal concept.”