Thirteen members of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., have been placed on administrative leave and served proposed termination notices after internal and federal probes found alleged misclassification of crime reports that understated the city’s crime totals. A federal review of nearly 6,000 reports and 50+ interviews informed two federal reports released in late 2025. The House Oversight report accused former Chief Pamela Smith of prioritizing image and retaliating against commanders. Interim Chief Jeff Carroll says the MPD will correct classifications and continues to use crime data to guide deployments.
13 D.C. Police Commanders Face Termination After Federal Probe Finds Alleged Crime-Data Manipulation
DC police officials face termination after federal probe uncovers alleged manipulated crime data by department
Thirteen members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C., have been placed on administrative leave and served notices of proposed termination after internal and federal reviews concluded that crime reports were misclassified in ways that made the city’s official crime statistics appear artificially low.
Interim Chief Jeff Carroll confirmed Tuesday that the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau completed its examination of crime-reporting practices and that each of the 13 officers received proposed adverse-action papers. Carroll said some of those individuals had previously been on leave for unrelated matters.
The inquiry was referred to MPD earlier this year by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Carroll declined to discuss specific allegations but emphasized the department’s commitment to correctly classifying and investigating crimes.
Law enforcement agents secure the grounds around the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Several Metropolitan Police Department officials are reportedly facing termination over the alleged manipulation of crime data.(Getty Images)
A federal review that began last year examined nearly 6,000 police reports and included interviews with more than 50 witnesses. The review concluded that D.C.’s crime totals were understated and that reporting practices needed improvement.
Two federal reports released in late 2025 — one by the Justice Department and another by the U.S. House Oversight Committee — criticized MPD’s reporting practices and leadership. The House report, titled "How D.C.’s Police Chief Undermined Crime Data Accuracy," alleged that former Chief Pamela Smith prioritized the department’s public image over accurate reporting and retaliated against commanders who raised concerns.
Gregg Pemberton, president of the D.C. Police Union, praised the department’s decision to serve termination papers to senior command staff and called for accountability: “Justice is being served. The command staff officials responsible for this betrayal must be held accountable. The corruption that endangered lives, eroded trust and allowed criminals to evade justice cannot be tolerated.”
Interim Chief Carroll said MPD still uses crime statistics to deploy officers to higher-risk neighborhoods and expressed confidence that corrective steps will improve accuracy going forward.
Requests for additional comment were sent to the MPD, the Justice Department and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
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