U.S. Capitol security called unprepared

WASHINGTON, June 24 (UPI) -- Members of an elite U.S. Capitol Police bomb squad say morale is low because of inadequate equipment and training to cope with future terrorist attacks.

With the likelihood that the U.S. Capitol could be a prime target for a future suicide or car bomb attack, documents show members of its specialized police force have been complaining for three years about a lack of proper vehicles and inadequate experience levels of its bomb technicians, The Hill reported Tuesday.

The Washington political newspaper said unclassified documents it had obtained, consisting of memos and letters sent among officers of the U.S. Capitol Police, reveal a belief the Capitol complex is unprepared for a major terrorist attack in part because officers must use their personal cars to respond to emergency situations, and are likely to get stuck in traffic.

Such unresolved issues are undermining morale, with nearly half of the elite bomb squad unit's 14 members seeking jobs elsewhere, Capitol Police sources told The Hill.

"Capitol Police is fully prepared to carry out our daily mission to protect the legislative process, in addition to responding to critical incidents on a daily basis," police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider told the newspaper.