Transcripts For CSPAN Washington Journal Terrance Gainer Dis

And that is the way the department has been operating for years and years, especially since 9 11. After an attack like that, there will be an examination of what was done, maybe we could have done something better, but you will see security the same way. Hopefully people dont notice. All the things that the men and women do. Host so, what is the responsibility of u. S. Capitol police . In this case, Capitol Police was there and that alexandra ballfield because a member of leadership was there, but what is their jurisdiction . Are they usually inside the capitol complex . Around d. C. . Guest number one, their major responsibility is the capitol complex. It covers blocks around the capital because just the nature of the way that the place of late out. They are both inside and outside. A very fullservice Police Department that has bike officers, canine, Hazardous Material response, swat teams that is what they do around the capital, but they have the responsibility of the members and their offices the matter where they are in the United States. They do that in conjunction with little agencies and local Police Departments. As far as a special agent on the scene of the shooting, they are part of the Dignitary Protection Division of the Capitol Police, so certain members have dignitary protection. Other members have protection as needed based on threats. In the department will also supply people where there is large gatherings of members of congress. One example might be the convention. We probably send 300 to 400 officers and agents to the various conventions every four years to protect those types of things. Or if Congress Goes offsite, we will police that, too. Host we are talking to terrance gainer, a former chief of the u. S. Capitol police. Republicans can call 2027488001. Emocrats can call 2027488000 and independents can call 2027488002. Nature explain how the of security and congress has changed over the years . We did see an uptick in the messages given to members of congress both by telephone, and writing, and social media come and especially absurd especially after the Gabrielle Giffords shooting. The educated them to the fact that what their responsibility is by letting the Capitol Police or local police know if they get a threat or something they think is a threat. A lot of, someone would call in very angry and they would do that repeatedly. And maybe staff would say, that is a crazy jail and there always calling. Them to we have asked do and the pass will reemphasize now is to let us know about those folks, so we can check into it and connect those dots. Chief, you heard some of the conversation from our first segment discussing ideas floated by some members of congress that they should be allowed to carry firearms into d. C. On their way to the capital. What are your thoughts on that . Guest i dont think that is a good idea. We really worked hard on that again after the shooting of congresswoman giffords. There was a similar call to members on themselves both on the floor and in the office. I believe dont think that is a good idea. I heard a couple of your call is talking about the downside of that. Areappens even if we working with another Law Enforcement agencies like the secret service or others, you want to know that a gun. What the responsibilities are and where they are at . I do not think members of congress or staff should have or carry guns in the capitol complex. The United States Capitol Police are welltrained, federal Law Enforcement are wellequipped to take your of those members. Host we are joined by terrance gainer. He is the former u. S. Capitol police chief until 2006, and then he went on he is also a former Senate Sergeant of arms and served until 2014. We have james on the line from texas on our republican line. Good morning, james. Caller good morning, maam. Host go ahead. Gainer, ok, all right. I do agree with you. I am a texan, so i believe in gun rights, but yall get paid to do a job and yall do it very well. As long as they are on the white are in as long as they the white house, they have enough protection. But it does hurt me that all of these callers are calling and saying, you know, nobody should have guns and stuff like that. But they will be the first ones if their white beat up on the sidewalk, that will start carrying a gun. So, it is easier said than done when youre in that situation. Our media, i became disabled five years ago. I have watched tv when i did not used to, but the message that is getting sent out there because the reason i am saying this is most people who do that does not begin to be deranged. In highad Friends School that i never wouldve thought have done some of the things they did, but they lost their wife, they lost their job, they sit at home and can i get another job. Despair is what is causing this. Right, james, lets give chief gain a chance to respond. Guest james, thank you. You raise very good points. Back when easy to sit you have a lot of Police Protection around you to say lets a police handle it. But i think you are getting to the core issue of what causes the anger of a hate, and what moves people to go from people who just disagree to being very, very disagreeable and violent. All of us have a responsibility to concentrate on that. Host can you talk a little bit about the training that Capitol Police go through . For situation like this, what do those special agents how do they train in order to do with the situation like this . Guest let me tell you how you get hired. It is a large organization, nearly 200,000 civilians sworn. They go through detailed testing, polygraph examinations, physical testing, and they are sent to the federal Law Enforcement Training Center in georgia for three months. Then they will come back to the capital area and spend nearly two months more in mock facilities that resembled the way the capital and offices look. Enable go to patrol divisions in uniform in various patrol positions. And then ultimately come after a couple of years, if they measure up under secretary, they will be selected to be considered for special agents of the Capitol Police. Those agents will go through another long for the five week school where not only do they enhance their shooting skills, but also concentrate on tactical driving, surveillance, counter surveillance, and some of the things necessary to be a sharp, dignitary protection person. ,hey are very welltrained highly organized, and you will see, even under response to that shooting, these are officers along with all caps on Police Officers, go through active shooting training, so they use protective cover. Then they begin the neutralization of the offender, and ultimately tackle that offender. They performed just as they are trained to do. Host michael is calling from oakland, california on our democratic line. Good morning, michael. Caller good morning. Host you are on with the chief. Guest good morning, michael. Caller congresspeople and representatives, they have secret service details. And the average age of our representatives is like 59. Do we really want a bunch of aroundics carrying guns d. C. . Guest well, michael, those are good questions. Let me address the last one first. Some of our Capitol Police officers and special agents are in their 50s, as i was when i was achieved, so if you are properly trained to use a weapon, the ages less important than your skill set, number one. Again, i agree that i dont think Congress Members should be carrying those weapons. The police,hat either the Capitol Police or the local police ought to be the one to provide the protection. After the secret service, that is an interesting question. You all may know that the speaker of the house is number 31 for the presidency. That individual is guarded by medassets Capitol Police Dignitary Protection Divisions. All of the people assigned to members of congress are from our agency. ,ow we do work very closely they work very closely with the United States secret Service Given the interaction between the people they protect and the members of congress, who also worked very closely with the federal protective service in the fbi and the marshals service, but our main link to all these nearly 500 plus officers throughout the country are local Law Enforcement. The Capitol Police keeps a very strong relationship with the jurisdiction in which that member lives or works or is going to hold a meeting. Describeef, can you the policy in place for Members Congress who are already who already have concealed carry licenses . Other members of congress who can carry in d. C. And how is that going . As iwell, as i said sit here three years out of the job, i do not know who has a concealed carry in the District Of Columbia. Are note, members allowed to carry firearms in the capitol complex. Members are permitted to have those weapons in their office. Clumsyalways been a bit as to how they get them into the office because there is transport rules both in berland, virginia, and the District Of Columbia and was a have to comply with, but as a rule, no one but Law Enforcement can turn a gun and the capital. Willven outside agencies check in with us and they will be given a special designation designation on their jacket, and we would have a Capitol Police officer with them anything that might happen if something goes bad out there could host do members of congress go through metal detectors and other features that we see the entrances and the capitol complex . Guest no come as a rule, members of congress are not required to go through security. Many of them do. Quite a few do not. That is one of the challenges Athena Capital Police Officer up there because some members quite like to goes to around the metal detectors. Officers do not get into for arguments with the members of Something Like that happens. They would call the sergeant of arms on the house or senate side, and we try to be conflict that. But the members of congress are very sensitive of what their responsibility is to make the play secure. Sometimes, there are some rubs. Host we are talking with terrance gainer, former chief of the u. S. Capitol police. Christie is calling in from plano, texas on a independent line. Good morning. Caller good morning. Good morning, christie. Caller i have a question during that have a question. It it seems that we live in a more politically divisive economy now environment now. And especially because of President Trump and his divisive nature, it seems to be translating to the republican party. To republicans dramatically gone up since the president has been in office . Guest christie, thank you for your question. But since i have not been either in those two chairs, i cannot say that with any certainty, but myan tell you with experience that we saw the threat goes up at different times your respective of who the president was. Onot of times, it depended the issues being discussed where we would see different threats, or the threats to members would on theirnding policy issues. Rises and falls based on what is going on in the United States, legislation is pending as a rule. Host keith, can you talk a little bit more about the security of members of congress when they are away from the capital . When they are in their home districts . Policeoth u. S. Capitol as well as local Law Enforcement. How is that did beat up . Just how is that dvvied up . U. S. Capitol police would not be going to individuals homes. If the threat comes into their member offices in their home thesdiction, we would begin process by notifying local Law Enforcement, and we be in fact sent an agent there, or connect that threat to the fbi, which would be followed up and local jurisdictions. If it is just a routine thing, we want to the staff to let the sergeant at arms know this, or the Capitol Police. And then we ask the staff to consider, not only look at how many people are going to be there and how many chairs are needed and are you going to serve coffee, what time of the day, we think about security. Would notifyy local Law Enforcement, and we never felt local lawenforcement to be reticent about stopping in to some of these events in making their presence known. I think you saw that when some of the town Hall Meetings that people were having where they got a little cheated over some of the issues, but there was a lot of local Law Enforcement involved in that. In between the members office, Capitol Police, local jurisdiction, we worked those things out. Host and talk a little bit about the attention, the desire yesterday, talked to many members of congress who said, they do not want to be restricted in their ability to talk to their constituents to go into local places in their districts to make it harder for their constituents to access them. Talk a little bit about the challenge that Law Enforcement faces when you have lawmakers who want to engage with the public, but at the same time, want to keep them safe . Guest it is an ongoing challenge and i talked with a lot of dignitary protection people when i was in that position, and i know them tidy well. Quite well. Nature must interact with the public. That is the way democracy works. Theyre really has to be careful balance about the rules are applying good protection and what the member is trying to do. And again, most of the time, that goes very well. Some of the time, the members would call me and say they would like people to back off or not be there and we had to negotiate through that. We cannot force people to take a protection, but as a will, you can kind of work through that and that is why the sophistication of the dignitary protection agent is very important. They need to have the skill set is a skilled Law Enforcement officer, but they need to be very diplomatic in how they handled the member, and how they handle the public. Host ok. Former u. S. Ng to Capitol Police chief terrance security in and around u. S. Capitol and throughout the country. Republicans can call 2027488001. Democrats 2027488000. And independents 2027488002. Tom is calling from virginia. Caller good morning. Thank you, cspan are doing what you do. This is an incredibly Important Service you provide to the american people. Chief, i cannot thank you enough of protectingy are putting out there for our senators, for our government officials. This is an absolutely stellar demonstration of what the Capitol Police do on a daily basis. Engagement of this attacker is something that should give everyone United States pause about these kinds of activities. Thatld like to say though it is everyones individual responsibility for their personal security, and at the Capital Police engaged with these senators and members of the house of representatives regarding protecting themselves and are families who are all at attacks this particular you wouldes, i think provide an even Greater Service by taking some of those senators and house of representatives and can beamily members vetted properly to be able to carry a concealed firearm, not as in the capital, but everywhere they go at home, and their offices, at the town Hall Meetings, because i am afraid we are point is the more these instances, and if they could train these members, it would be very welcomed. Guest tom, good points and thank you. I can take the Capitol Police operate in a couple of ranges. Some in the capitol complex and others elsewhere. And we do invite members there. , woulds still a chief work with any of the members to do that. I hear what you are saying. As you know, that is a personal decision. Also based on what the local laws are. I think the court together on that, but i want to emphasize one thing we should not miss or forget about, and that was the Rapid Response of the alexandria Police Department, and what they did. It is really a combined effort in both Law Enforcement and security and First Responders. Individual responsibility in a community where, fortunate, in some cities , and i am back chicago where there are too for many shootings. We have to figure out how to calm things down to making safer. We are all responsible for us in many ways. Sorry about that. , in the wake of this weeks shooting, some lawmakers have proposed making some changes to incr