Thirteen officers from Washington, DC’s police force, including some in senior roles, have been placed on suspension due to an internal probe into the department’s process of compiling crime statistics. This issue is also under scrutiny by both Congress and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll revealed these suspensions on Tuesday, marking the initial phase in what could be a lengthy journey towards potentially terminating their positions.
Carroll assumed leadership of the police department half a year ago, following the departure of former chief Pamela Smith, who stepped down amidst claims that officials were skewing crime statistics in the city.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Carroll announced that officers are currently undergoing evaluations and training on data submission procedures. He also mentioned that the findings of the internal probe will remain confidential.
Back in December, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, prompted by whistleblower revelations, determined that the previous police chief had been altering crime data.
The committee’s report stated:
Chief Smith’s Pressure Campaign Against Staff Led to Inaccurate Crime Data: Testimony revealed that Chief Smith prioritized lowering publicly reported crime numbers over reducing actual crime, placing intense pressure on district commanders to produce low crime statistics by any means necessary. Commanders also testified that Chief Smith pushed for more frequent use of lesser, intermediate charges — which are not publicly reported — and required certain crimes to be reviewed by her office, actions that together amounted to manipulating crime data to present the illusion of lower crime in the District.
Smith has denied ordering or encouraging any manipulation of police data.
The 13 officers were placed on administrative leave. Before they can be terminated they’re entitled to certain administrative procedures, including appealing disciplinary action.
Oversight committee chairman James Comer (R-KY) posted his reaction to the announcement of the suspensions on X.
“Make no mistake: top D.C. law enforcement terminations are due to the Oversight Committee exposing how D.C. Police leaders manipulated crime data and cultivated a culture of fear to push an agenda,” he wrote. “This isn’t over. I want every document from MPD’s [Metropolitan Police Department] internal investigation.”
The interim chief said despite the scandal the department has been reducing crime over the last three years, especially in homicides, shootings, and carjacking.
“We use crime statistics every day to help us with deployment across the city. I do have confidence in those numbers,” he told reporters.
Carroll said the department’s internal affairs investigation was prompted by a referral earlier this year from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He declined to get into specifics.
“What I can tell you is there were allegations of misconduct that were made, and based on those allegations, members were investigated, and the outcome is related to these individuals,” he told the news conference.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s crime stats have been under scrutiny following President Donald Trump’s decision to issue an emergency order last summer that federalized the police force and flooded the streets with National Guard troops, an action which the president has bragged made the city the safest in the country.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office launched a separate investigation into crime statistics and found that a significant number of MPD reports had been misclassified to make crime rates appear lower than they were.
Pirro’s investigation did not find grounds to bring criminal charges against individuals in the department. Pirro said at the time it was up to the MPD to take steps to address “these underlying issues.”
An investigation by the District’s inspector general’s office also began a probe in January into the crime statistics reporting system. That investigation remains ongoing.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
