Homeland Security: Physical Security Incident Case Study

Introduction

A security breach at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, rekindled the federal government’s interest in strengthening the building’s physical protections¹. Due to the similarities between this occurrence and other security breaches, such as the attacks on September 11, 2001, the congressional investigation into the incident is ongoing¹. Physical security at the federal level encompasses a set of rules and processes designed to limit the likelihood that criminals or terrorists would compromise employees, facilities, and information. Different levels of security are assigned to government facilities in the United States. These security levels help dictate the activities and operations performed to keep the buildings safe. Some procedures that make up physical security include safeguards against criminals or terrorists, such as vehicle barriers, security checkpoints at entrances, patrolling the grounds, and monitoring the perimeters with closed-circuit cameras. Federal law enforcement agencies must provide security in federal sites; the military, intelligence, and national security depend on the security levels.

The paper will present a case study of physical security in homeland security. In particular, it will focus on the various physical security measures taken by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The paper will assess the effectiveness of these measures in terms of their ability to prevent or deter future terrorist attacks. The 9/11 attacks were a watershed moment in the history of homeland security. In the wake of the attacks, the U.S. government took several steps to improve the physical security of the country¹. These steps included the creation of the DHS, the enactment of the USA PATRIOT Act, and the establishment of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The DHS is responsible for many homeland security functions, including border security, counterterrorism, and disaster response. The agency has several tools to secure the nation, including physical security measures.

U.S. Capitol Security Breach Incident

January 6, 2021, incident in the United States Capitol demonstrated the necessity of developing and implementing emergency response procedures for federal facilities. Despite the presence of law police authorities, supporters of Donald Trump staged demonstrations. They marched into the United States Capitol before President Joe Biden’s inauguration into the office of the presidency. The disturbances initially began along Pennsylvania Avenue, but eventually the demonstrators marched to the United States Capitol². The participants in the incident had clubs, flagpoles, and riot shields at their disposal. The policemen’ laid-back demeanor as they watched the protesters struggle their way into the federal prison was captured on tape by several witnesses with cameras at the time of the incident. As a result of the event, numerous issues have been raised concerning the level of physical security present at federal facilities. The building was placed on high alert, and there were more than 2000 officers from several police departments there. As a result, the occurrence of the security breach raises concerns regarding the efficiency of the physical security measures.

The law enforcement personnel were unable to prevent the rioters from entering the building where they were gathering. Current and former law enforcement officials have stated that they were caught off guard by the size of the crowd and their intentions to march up to where lawmakers were gathering after being encouraged to do so by President Trump. National guards and federal law enforcement forces that had been intimidating during the George Floyd protests similarly kept a low profile on the streets during those events. ³The police had built up temporary barriers at the Capitol, and the officers were not wearing riot gear during the demonstration. As a result, they were merely prepared to end demonstrations and not prevent any attacks. It was also captured on camera that the officers were assisting some of the demonstrators during the incident, and very few arrests were made concerning the incident.

During the incident, the physical security measures intended to be enforced were ineffective. Earlier, Chief Sund, in charge of the Capitol Police Force, had stated that all of the security preparations had been carried out and confirmed that the security countermeasures had been implemented (Fitzgibbons & John 2021)⁴. Even after the elections for the United States, the National Guard and other security measures that were in place during the protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement should have been kept in place. Law enforcement agencies and members of the National Guard were present, but they did not take any direct measures to halt the demonstrators. As a result, the incident indicates a failure to implement physical security measures during emergency preparedness and response.

Recommendations to Correct the Vulnerability

The most important recommendation to follow to get rid of the risk would be to ensure that all government institutions participating in the presidential election or inauguration have robust security. The extremists and people supporting Trump had been discussing their plans on various internet media platforms. Consequently, the law enforcement authorities and national guards ought to have implemented stringent security measures in the streets and within the Capitol Building.

Especially after an election that has caused a variety of supporters to react negatively, the police ought to be ready for the possibility of riots breaking out. The getting together of the legislators ought to have been treated as an event of significant importance and given a high level of security. The physical security infrastructure at all federal buildings is expected to be efficient and should be treated with the utmost respect, as required by the physical security requirements. If it falls into the wrong hands, the sensitive information stored at the federal buildings might compromise the country’s national security.

The last recommendation is to implement a physical security checkpoint at the entrance of the Capitol. This would ensure that only authorized people are allowed in and out of the building, thus preventing others from infiltrating the building and engaging in violence against members of congress. Another recommendation is to implement metal detectors at all entrances into the building. This will help prevent gun smuggling, which would help prevent future violence against members of congress and staff members.

Conclusion

On the 6th of January 2021, an incident occurred in the U.S. The scene depicted in Capitol is the breaking of a strongly secured facility building. The event highlights the inadequacies and sloppiness within the security infrastructures and systems the federal government has installed. It was determined that Trump supporters were responsible for the incident, and the police officers involved were held accountable because they did not halt the demonstrators. Two of the vulnerabilities present throughout the incident were the absence of high-security barriers and the fact that law enforcement agents were not adequately prepared to deal with demonstrators. The tension that arose due to Trump supporters expressing their discontent with the election results ought to have been regarded as a threat to the country’s security.

Footnotes

1. Buresh, Donald L. “The January 6, 2021 Riot, the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Controlling the Content of Extremist Material on the Internet.” International Journal of Social Science And Human Research 5, no. 1 (2022): 167-178.
2. Zulli, D., Coe, K. and Isaacs, Z., 2022. News Framing in the Aftermath of the January 6 Attacks on the US Capitol: An Analysis of Labels, Definitional Uncertainty, and Contextualization. American Behavioral Scientist, p.00027642221096333. Web.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.