. . . the Capitol cops are barely cops -- they're more like security guards who check people through doors and the magnetometers that make sure people don't bring guns into the place. They're fundamentally like bank guards.
That's a fairly accurate characterization, in my experience. Also, it's probably worth pointing out that the Capitol Police are accustomed to
facilitating demonstrations, which are almost always peaceful, rather than restraining an unruly mob that outnumbers them. They are trained to respect the right of demonstrators to exercise their constitutional rights to free expression and to "petition" their elected representatives. They often put up flimsy temporary barriers so protesters know which areas they are expected to avoid, and occasionally they stop the occasional bozo who pushes a barrier aside or jumps over it, but more frequently they need to come to the aid of people who experience medical problems than to deal with those who pose any sort of threat.
There are some special occasions that call for an extraordinary security presence on the Capitol campus: notably (1) the annual "State of the Union" speech by the president, which is delivered inside the Capitol Building to a joint session of the Congress (i.e., all the representatives and senators), the vice president, the members of the Supreme Court, most of the members of the president's cabinet, ambassadors to the United States, and other invited dignitaries, and (2) presidential inaugurations, which include all of the above, previous presidents and vice presidents, and an even larger contingent of invited dignitaries—and which are held outside the west elevation of the Capitol Building.
In retrospect, it seems obvious that the Capitol Police should have prepared similarly for the count of the electoral votes, but that is typically a yawn-inducing ceremonial event to which most of the public is oblivious. No doubt that will change now.
