New Capitol Police chief says he’d be ‘a fool to not be concerned’ about ongoing threat
“The safety and security of the US Capitol, the Congress, that legislative process, those are top priorities,” Manger told CNN’s Josh Campbell in an interview.
“That’s not the way I saw it,” Manger said, but added he believes that “everybody’s entitled to their opinion.”
“Frankly, as the chief of this police department now, I’m in a position to do things to ensure that that wouldn’t happen again. I’m in a position to ensure that these men and women have what they need to do their job.”
When asked about why law enforcement and agencies such as the FBI did not correctly assess the threat of violence ahead of January 6, Manger said that over his more than 20 years as a police chief, he has learned that intelligence is “not an exact science.”
“People occasionally do make mistakes,” he said. “Sometimes if you underestimate something or overestimate something, nobody will notice. It won’t be a big deal. But there’s sometimes when you don’t evaluate the intelligence accurately and it results in problems.”
Manger said he will “absolutely” allow his officers to speak out about what they endured on January 6 because “they need to be heard.”
“We need to hear their stories,” the chief said. “They deserve to talk about what they went through.”
Manger’s new role comes following a nationwide recruitment effort for the position.
Manger has served in the policing profession for 42 years, most recently as chief of police in Montgomery County, Maryland, from 2004 to 2019. The Capitol Police Board said Thursday that it is “confident” in Manger’s “experience and approach in protecting the Congress — its Members, employees, visitors and facilities.”
CNN’s Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.