Senate report finds security, response failures in Capitol riots; Suozzi calls for independent commission

A newly released Senate report found sweeping failures surrounding the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

News 12 Staff

Jun 8, 2021, 10:22 PM

Updated 1,292 days ago

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A newly released Senate report found sweeping failures surrounding the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
The report cited "security, planning and response failures" by law enforcement, including Capitol Police, FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
"It was pretty serious stuff, and we never want to see something like that happen again in our country," says Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove).
The Senate committees concluded that U.S. Capitol Police's main intelligence unit "was aware of the potential for violence," but "not everyone was notified due to a 'decentralized' intelligence operation." It also noted that the USCP chief had no unilateral authority to request assistance from the National Guard.
Other findings included that some Capitol Police units lacked special protective equipment, like helmets and shields; and FBI and DHS officials had "difficulty in discerning constitutionally protected free speech versus actionable, credible threats of violence."  
"That's really the bombshell of this report. You had the ability to know when it was coming," says Michael Balboni, a former Homeland Security official for New York state and security expert.
The bipartisan committee did not look at a number of issues - including what role former President Donald Trump played in the incident. Suozzi  says there's needs to be an independent commission.
"We really need to get to the bottom of what transpired that day," Suozzi says. He's calling for an independent commission into the riots.
Rep. Lee Zeldin issued a statement to News 12 that says, "While we have amazing men and women in law enforcement, there were some very consequential failures at the highest levels of their ranks regarding process, communication, preparation and decision making. Steps must be taken to ensure these mistakes are never repeated."