Capitol Police request significant FY13 funding boost despite budget cutbacks

As other agencies prepare for yet another year of budget austerity by requesting less funding, the Capitol Police Department is asking for a 10 percent increase in fiscal 2013.

On Wednesday, Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse testified before the House Appropriations Legislative Branch subcommittee, claiming the department would require more funding for personnel as well as security at the 2013 presidential inauguration.

“My management team and I are keenly aware of the economic situation our nation continues to face,” Morse testified. “Our FY 2013 budget request provides for those critical mission and mission support requirements necessary for the Department to address the security of the Congress, so that it may conduct its Constitutional responsibilities in an open and safe manner without disruption from crime or terrorism.”

The department’s FY13 request totals $374 million, $34 million more than it received the previous fiscal year.

With the funding boost, the Capitol Police aim to add 19 new sworn and civilian positions, taking their staffing levels from 2,145 to 2,164. Morse noted that this number would still be below the department’s authorized staffing levels.

“To operate within our current budget, we are currently carrying out our mission requirements with 1,775 of our 1,800 sworn positions and 370 of our authorized 443 civilian positions, and with only limited training,” Morse testified.

“We are constantly analyzing our workforce to align job functions, assignments, workload, risk management and organizational readiness along with the ever-changing threat assessments and mandatory mission requirements of a dynamic congressional community,” he added. “The Department’s FY 2013 personnel request reflects our continuous efforts at all levels of management to effectively manage our existing resources to achieve the best possible balance of staff-to-mission requirements.”

Additional requested funding would go toward training, which has been “greatly reduced” in previous fiscal years due to budget cuts.

“Training has been limited to only those areas that are critical and mandatory as required by law, rule, or regulation, or necessary to meet core mission activities,” Morse added. “This budget includes the overtime funding that specifically relates to the training needs of sworn staff to give them the time needed to be offline and receive training in a number of key areas.”

The department is also requesting an additional $800,000 in FY13 to support security and law enforcement activities associated with the 2013 presidential inauguration. The event will mean an increase in personnel overtime, Morse noted.

As other agencies continue to make do with less, Morse highlighted the ever-changing nature of Capitol Police duties. So far, this fiscal year alone, the department screened nearly 3 million visitors to the Capitol complex, made more than 200 arrests, conducted more than 35,000 K-9 sweeps and screened nearly 8,300 vehicles.

“We realize that the Department’s funding levels have grown in recent years, as opposed to other Legislative Branch entities, due to requirements set forth to support an expanding mission load,” he concluded. “The proposed FY 2013 budget ... will address and mitigate identified security challenges that may potentially affect the safety of the Capitol complex and our ability to keep up with the changing security environment and threat level.”

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