For our story today on the Capitol Police, I went on a fasc…

The 1st mention of the Capitol Police involved the certification of Lincoln's election in 1861. “A few weeks ago many freely predicted that the counting of the electoral votes would never be peacefully accomplished.” 2/

The Vice-President finally announced that Lincoln and Hamlin had been elected, calming fears of unrest. 3/

When it came time for the inauguration of Lincoln, the object of an assassination plot, the Capitol Police said they would “admit no strangers except ladies.” 4/

The Capitol Police were often mocked. After someone defaced the building with oil and “a large quantity of blue ink,” they were faulted for not being able to catch the person. The Times said, “The Lieutenant devotes his time to the sale of lemonade and cake in the dome.” 5/

A woman donned a "skull mask" for a 1941 anti-war protest. A doorkeeper said he could not recall letting this woman in though “he had kept an eye on her for two days.” 6/

After the GOP won control of Congress in 1952, the chief warned that the patronage system allowed them to fire the entire department en masse. Two years later, after Puerto Rican terrorists shot five lawmakers from the Ladies’ Gallery, Congress professionalized the force. 7/

But in the ‘60s the knifing of a Rep. by a janitor renewed calls to reduce patronage. Also, the janitor’s race was openly cited as a reason to deny home rule to the District of Columbia. 8/

1971: At an anti-war protest on the Capitol steps, the chief said giving protesters a chance to leave peacefully “would be unfair” to those that had already been arrested. The Capitol Police arrested 800 people and were later found to have violated their Constitutional Rights. 9/

Also 1971, a peace symbol painted in the Rotunda: 10/

And this:

In a story about the Watergate break-in, I found a nugget about two stooges arrested for beating anti-war demonstrators:

"They were quickly released when a mysterious 'man in a gray suit' explained that they were 'good men' and 'anti‐Communists.'" 12/

The 70s and early 80s a period of bombs and bomb threats, and metal detectors were installed at the Capitol. The chief warned that the building was vulnerable to takeover by armed groups like the Hanafi Muslims, who had taken over government buildings the previous year. 13/

1978: Native Americans protesting a so-called “Red backlash” just ignored this “check your weapons” table: 14/

1983: The Capitol Police bemoan having to arrests tourists who carried guns because they were afraid of “rampant crime” in D.C. 15/

1985: Officer duties include watching video to learn to recognize the majority whip’s Belgian sheepdog: 16/

1989: A syndicated news columnist smuggles in a gun and bullet to illustrate security lapses, and is accused of damaging the trust between the Capitol Police and the press. 17/

1990: wheelchairs were locked together at a civil rights protest for people with disabilities: 18/

1999: Jesse Helms orders the Capitol Police to remove 10 female House members, including Nancy Pelosi, who were trying to hand him a letter supporting an international treaty against for women's rights that had been ratified by 165 countries, but not the U.S. 19/

In 2006 the Capitol Police requested an arrest warrant for Rep. Cynthia McKinney (remember her?), who said an officer had racially profiled her after she bypassed a metal detector without wearing her pin. (Many lawmakers routinely refused to wear their pins). 20/

The police said she had punched the cop. 21/
https://t.co/EwDe3IBYfK

According to Wikipedia, McKinney is now a professor in Bangladesh. 22/

And here's today's story, with @AliWatkins and @jeligon
https://t.co/76KaQU2lIg 23/

If you're wondering what happened to the poor guy who was arrested in the men's room, Rep. Jon Hinson, he resigned, came out and became an LGBTQ activist. 24/24 https://t.co/a91nGWqTUp

For our story today on the Capitol Police, I went on a fascinating tour of our archives, full of bomb threats, assassination plots and forgotten causes. (Imagine a Congressman getting arrested today in a Capitol men's room on sodomy charges...) Here's a sampling: 1/

More from Politics

You May Also Like