Following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol, the U.S. Capitol Police hired Dan Nichols and Phil Morse as consultants, the USCP announced on June 29.
Morse and Nichols currently serve as American University’s administrative vice presidents of Safety & Transportation Programs and University Police Services & Emergency Management, respectively. Prior to coming to AU, Morse was appointed USCP Chief of Police in 2006 until his retirement in 2012. Nichols was appointed as Assistant Chief of Police, Chief of Operations in 2007, where he was responsible for security, investigations and protective services until his retirement in 2011.
In bringing on Morse and Nichols, USCP said they hope to use their knowledge and years of experience to help the department evolve as it continues to heal after the insurrection.
“We believe this team’s institutional knowledge will build upon our current plan to improve our Department operations,” said USCP Acting Chief Yolanda Pittman, in USCP’s press release. “At the same time, we will continue to move forward along our new path towards an intelligence based protective agency.”
In an email to The Eagle, Nichols said that he was unable to comment, as he is bound by a non-disclosure agreement due to the nature of the work. Morse did not respond to The Eagle’s request for comment.
In an email to The Eagle, a University spokesperson said that Morse and Nichols both remain employed by AU at this time, and that they both are “uniquely qualified” for the work.
“Phil and Dan’s independent work with the U.S. Capitol Police complies with all university policies and was reviewed for any potential conflicts. It does not impact their duties at American University,” the spokesperson said. “We are fortunate to have experts of Phil and Dan’s caliber supporting the safety of the AU community.”
