The U.S. Department of Justice has concluded its investigation into allegations that the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) may have manipulated crime data in ways that made public safety trends appear more favorable, according to multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the inquiry. Officials have reportedly informed MPD that the investigation has been completed, and the departmentās findings could be released as early as Monday, according to reporting by NBC Washington.
A draft version of the report obtained by News4 outlines what investigators describe as a recurring pattern in which certain criminal incidents were downgraded or misclassified in official records. According to the draft, some of these adjustments may have occurred under internal pressure to demonstrate declining crime rates in the nationās capital.
The report states that MPDās āofficial crime statistical reporting mechanism is likely unreliable and inaccurate due to misclassifications, errors, and/or purposefully downgraded classifications and reclassifications.ā Investigators said they identified a āsignificant numberā of police reports that were incorrectly categorized, raising concerns about the reliability of publicly reported crime statistics.
As part of the investigation, federal officials interviewed more than 50 witnesses and reviewed thousands of police reports, internal communications, and departmental records. The inquiry focused on how crime data was documented, classified, and ultimately reported to the public.
Several witnesses told investigators that pressure to show declining crime rates appeared to intensify during the tenure of Police Chief Pamela Smith, who recently announced plans to step down at the end of the month. While some witnesses indicated that misclassification issues existed before her leadership, the draft report suggests that the pressure to reduce reported crime increased during her time as chief.
āWhile witnesses cite misclassifications and purposely downgraded classifications of criminal offenses at MPD for years prior, there appears to have been a significant increase in pressure to reduce crime during Pamela Smithās tenure,ā the report states. Some witnesses characterized the environment as coercive.
The draft report also raises concerns about the departmentās internal culture, particularly during twice-weekly crime briefings where district commanders were allegedly criticized and publicly reprimanded over crime trends in their jurisdictions. Investigators further questioned the reliability of MPDās Daily Crime Report, suggesting it may not consistently reflect the underlying data.
