Coming.
I was there when this when
this first started unfolding.
You know I wasn't, you know,
in some off campus location or
something there on the West
front watching these officers.
You know, being impacted by the munitions
that were that were in the air. The
call to send help came in at 1258
an acting Chief, Robert Conti says
his officers responded in minutes.
They were some of the first to
support Capitol Police in a mission to
reclaim the Citadel of our democracy.
We sent as many as 1200 officers to
assist the United States Capitol
Police in defending the capital.
That was something that the
Metropolitan Police Department
that we did as a lead up in terms
of pre positioning resources and I
think there's been a lot of finger
pointing that is gone on there.
But again, our response.
You know this is factual and this is.
This is
what a Kurd, your women
and men were under attack.
And that can't be something that
you just leave your shift that
day and you come back in your the
same. Everybody is different
post January 6th. How are the
officers of the Metropolitan Police
doing? Yeah, there you know they're
dealing with it an you know,
I think, as human beings,
having gone through that experience,
you know there are some who are doing
better than others.
We've heard the harrowing sagas
of officers trapped in the melee
fighting to survive officers
Mike Finold, Leila Morrison,
Daniel Hodges were honored for
their bravery during the Super Bowl,
but there were many more officers who
struggled an are suffering in silence.
One DC police officer Jeffrey Smith.
Died by suicide just days after the riots.
Conte says when it comes to mental health,
he is trying to lead by example.
It's OK
to not be OK. I think it's very important
to say that to our police officers,
but I think it's more important that we make
sure that they get the care that they need.
I have gone through a debriefing with
our Metropolitan Police Department's
Employee Assistance Program.
We broadcast it to members within the
agency to give them some visibility and to
know what the leader is also experiencing.
What is the leader experiencing while
the leader is experiencing anger?
The leader is experiencing disappointment.
The leader is experiencing, you know,
dis belief that the nation's capital,
the capital of the United States. You know,
that's encompassed by a steel offense.
And you know all of these
avenues have been cut off.
And now, you know, as a
result of this, this footprint can be
reduced a bit. And I think, still,
we have the same security postures. In the
wake of the capital riots, there is
also a new posture within the ranks.
Chief Conti has talked about doing background
checks to root out potential extremism.
Are you concerned that there
is a space where that exists
within the Metropolitan Police?
I have not certainly seen
any outward signs of that,
but I think that you know,
in this new normal,
those are things that we need
to be concerned about, you know,
and I certainly intend on doing
everything that I possibly can
to make sure that we don't have
those type of individuals.
He knows there will be
more challenges to come,
leading a changing Police Department
with calls to re imagine policing and
a series of confirmation hearings to
move the process to affirm his new
role with the Department forward.
I have a model and that is excellence
is transferable.
So whether we're defending the
capital or whether we're just
doing the things that we do in
Community day in and day out,
I want to do it in the spirit
of excellence to make sure that
you know our community members,
that they feel that excellence coming from
the leader of this Police Department.
All the way down to you know,
the officer that's responding to a
call for service knocking at the door.