13 DC police officers placed on leave following probe into allegedly manipulated crime stats

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — Thirteen members of Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department have been placed on administrative leave and face possible termination following an internal investigation into allegations that crime data was manipulated to make the city appear safer.

President Donald Trump often pointed to reports of manipulated crime stats as one of the reasons he surged federal law enforcement resources to the nation’s capital last summer, including National Guard members who continue to patrol the city. He declared a “crime emergency” in the city and said in a Truth Social post last August that “D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety.”

Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll announced the conclusion of the internal investigation during a press conference Tuesday but declined to provide specifics about what was found.

“No one was fired,” Carroll said. “Some members were served with paperwork yesterday as it relates to being placed on administrative leave pending termination.”

Carroll added that some of the 13 officers “were already on administrative leave for other matters earlier.”

Carroll also insisted Tuesday that crime has gone down in the district.

“Let me be clear,” he said, “we have made meaningful progress over the last three years in reducing crime. Homicides, shootings and carjackings have fallen steadily since 2023.”

Carroll said the investigation was referred to the MPD by the DC US Attorney’s office earlier this year, which opened its own investigation into the crime data in the summer.

The Republican-led House Oversight Committee also opened a probe into DC’s crime stats, issuing a report late last year alleging that former DC Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to manipulate crime data to create the appearance of a safer city.

After just two years as DC’s top cop, Smith resigned last December amid intense scrutiny over the crime stats, but she vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

In a fiery farewell speech, Smith said, “Let’s be really clear about one thing – never would I, never will I ever compromise my integrity for a few crime numbers.”

As the federal law enforcement surge took hold in the city last summer and Republicans cried foul over DC’s crime numbers, House Democrats fought back, issuing a rebuke of the committee’s report.

“From start to finish, it has been clear that Oversight Republicans’ failed investigation was an assault on reality at the behest of an unstable President angry at a police department for doing its job,” Democrats wrote. “The Trump Administration lied about crime in D.C. to justify illegally deploying troops and attempting to take control of MPD. Commanders uniformly testified that crime in D.C. has significantly decreased since 2023.”

Oversight Committee chair, GOP Rep. James Comer said in a statement Tuesday after the disciplinary action was announced, “Our work is not done. I expect to receive MPD’s internal report and all related documents to ensure crime data is reported accurately and that anyone responsible for manipulation is held accountable.”

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