Giffords shootingLawmakers looking to cash-strapped local police for extra security
For members of Congress worried about their safety in the wake of the Arizona mass shooting, relying on local law enforcement may not be an option as cutbacks hit cash-strapped police forces; Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Illinois) this week proposed additional congressional spending for security at district offices; Rep. Peter King (R-New York) proposed barring people from bringing a weapon within 1,000 feet of a government official; Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) suggested allowing lawmakers to carry weapons inside the Capitol; already, Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Heath Shuler (D-North Carolina) announced they are going to step up the frequency with which they carry concealed weapons to district events
Some congressmembers will carry their own firearms at local events // Source: weaselzippers.us
Members of Congress and other federal employees worried about their safety in the wake of the Arizona mass shooting can always request additional security detail from the U.S. Capitol Police or Marshals Service, but relying on local law enforcement may not be an option as cutbacks hit cash-strapped police forces.
In the aftermath of the murderous rampage in Tucson Saturday that left six dead and fourteen wounded, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona), who was hosting a constituents meeting, House Sergeant at Arms Bill Livingood this week reissued a security guide for lawmakers concerned about their safety.
“It is essential that each district office establish communication with local law enforcement,” Livingood said in a memo sent Thursday to House members and their staffs. The memo provided security guidance, including designating a law enforcement coordinator for each office.
“Members participate in a tremendous assortment of events each year, throughout the United States. Experience demonstrates, though, that not every event requires the presence of law enforcement,” reads the memo obtained by Fox News. “However, the decision whether or not to have a law enforcement presence at any event is one best made through close liaison with the Office of the Sergeant at Arms, the U.S. Capitol Police and your local law enforcement agencies.”
Fox News reports that some lawmakers have already taken the advice to heart. Freshman Representative Joe Walsh of Illinois reached out to the local sheriff to provide security at a town hall on Wednesday night in honor of Giffords.
Other lawmakers are going further. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Illinois) this week proposed additional congressional spending for security at district offices.
Representative Peter King (R-New York) proposed barring people from bringing a weapon within 1,000 feet of a government official. Representative Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) suggested allowing lawmakers to carry weapons inside the Capitol.
Already, Representatives Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Heath Shuler (D-North Carolina) announced they are going to step up the frequency with which they carry concealed weapons to district events.
For lawmakers who have started requesting assistance from local police, one agency is already working very closely with Congress and U.S. Capitol Police.
John Firman, director of research for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, told FoxNews.com, that police chiefs will need coordination to determine how best to meet requests, whether that means pulling an officer out of another unit or division or handing out overtime.
While he said there will be “natural limitations” to what can be
