Although the U.S. Capitol Police have surveillance cameras with their eyes on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco, the human eyes watching those cameras missed Friday’s break-in that ended in an assault on Paul Pelosi, according to a new report.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that officers in Washington monitoring security feeds were not aware that anything was wrong at Pelosi’s home until cameras recorded a vast police presence outside the house. The Post cited its source as three people it did not name.
The cameras watching Pelosi’s home were among 1,800 monitored by the Capitol Police, the report said.
When the Capitol Police checked the recordings from before officers arrived, they saw an intruder breaking glass and entering Pelosi’s home, the Post reported.
The outlet — citing “several current and former law enforcement officials, many of whom spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity because the break-in remains under investigation” — said the speaker’s home should have been among the most secure.
The Capitol Police first installed cameras at the home eight years ago, the report said. An around-the-clock security detail travels with Pelosi, according to the Post, which said San Francisco police protection peaked after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol incursion and was not present Friday.
The Capitol Police were not monitoring the video from Pelosi’s home 24/7 at the time of the break-in because she was in Washington, the report said.
The Post said Pelosi also has a private security system, citing two people it did not name as its source. San Francisco police are notified when the alarm is tripped, and so are the Capitol Police, the report said.
No alarm was received on Friday, the report said.
Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger indicated that even as the agency examines Friday’s incident, it is on the hunt for more money to protect lawmakers.
“The USCP has engaged in a review of Friday’s incident,” Manger said in a statement Tuesday.
“We believe today’s political climate calls for more resources to provide additional layers of physical security for Members of Congress,” he said. “This plan would include an emphasis on adding redundancies to the measures that are already in place for Congressional leadership.
“Hopefully you can understand that we cannot disclose the details about these improvements because our country cannot afford to make it easier for any potential bad actors.”
Manger added, “During this time of heightened political tension, we continue to monitor thousands of cases across the country — in an effort to stop potential threats before they make headlines. …
“The USCP is working tirelessly to keep everyone safe during this tense time in American politics.”
The Capitol Police have hired 280 officers this year, which roughly brings the force to the strength it had before the Capitol incursion, the Post reported.
A report after the events of Jan. 6 said the 1,900-person force needs about 850 more people to meet all of its responsibilities, according to the Post.
The Capitol Police budget has jumped from $516 million in 2021 to a proposed $708 million for 2023.
The assault on Paul Pelosi has left some legislators stoking the fires of fear and demanding more protection.
“The federal government seems largely indifferent to the safety of rank-and-file members of Congress, who are left wide open to assassination,” Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York said, according to The New York Times.
“We live in a terrifying time when political violence has become a new normal,” Torres said. “The assassination of a member of Congress feels like an inevitability.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
