By Allan Smith and Frank Thorp V<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Capitol Police Union’s head pushed Congress on Sunday to ramp up security after a second attack at the complex this year left another officer dead and also warned of a possible thinning of the department’s ranks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the U.S. Capitol Police Labor Committee, noted in a statement that the department is currently 233 officers below its authorized level of more than 2,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We are struggling to meet existing mission requirements even with the officers working massive amounts of forced overtime,” he said. “In the next 3-5 years we have another 500 officers who will be eligible to retire. Many of these officers could put in their retirement papers tomorrow. I\u2019ve had many younger officers confide in me that they\u2019re actively looking at other agencies and departments right now.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Papathanasiou said the\u00a0latest attack on Friday<\/a>, which killed Officer William Evans, has left his peers “reeling.” He noted Evans was “well respected within the department and his loss will not be forgotten.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Officer Brian Sicknick<\/a> died from injuries suffered during the Jan. 6 riot. Another Capitol Police officer<\/a> died by suicide weeks later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We have now lost two officers in the line of duty this year,” he said. “Another officer has taken his own life and we have 80 officers who were seriously injured in the insurrection. Some of those injured officers may never return to duty.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chairman called on Congress to implement the recommendations presented last month as part of a task force looking into the Jan. 6 riot, which left five people dead including a which was led by retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honor\u00e9. But he said “our first priority has to be retaining our existing officers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n