Photo by mr_mayer

You’d think after a year of White House gatecrashers and Pentagon shooters, congressional staffers would have a healthy amount of respect for the security process at the U.S. Capitol. But you’d of course be wrong. Jordy Yager over at The Hill newspaper reports that Capitol Police officers are sick and tired of being bullied by entitled staffers who insist the rules don’t apply to them.

Several officers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Hill that without a written directive of the policy, they’re left to face bullying staffers and intimidating lawmakers who have been known to file complaints against the officers. The staffers have accused them of discourteous treatment after being stopped and directed to the magnetometers.

The officers say the directive must come from either Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse or the House Sergeant at Arms Bill Livingood and must outline the screening protocol. That would give officers a reference point when lawmakers attempt to have their staff bypass security screening points leading into the Capitol.

Those staffer complaints aren’t to be taken lightly, either, because no matter what, once they’re filed, an investigation must then take place.

It’s not exactly surprising to be reminded that some Hill staffers think they’re better than everyone else. Who among us hasn’t run into one who quickly lets us know how important and powerful their boss is? As if that makes them important and powerful, too. Sounds like the U.S. Capitol Police leadership could stand to release some more concrete written policies that would allow their officers to do their jobs.