The House Oversight Committee released a new report detailing concerns about crime data manipulation in Washington, D.C.
The report, titled “Leadership Breakdown: How D.C.’s Police Chief Undermined Crime Data Accuracy,” contains information from transcribed interviews with those of D.C. patrol districts, revealing that Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela A. Smith pressured the commanders to alter crime data to maintain the appearance of a lower crime rate.
According to the report, “commanders told the Committee that, on numerous occasions, they were not only pressured, but also instructed, to lower crime classifications to lesser intermediate offenses in such a way that those offenses would not be included in the DCR reported to the public.” The report further stated that the Committee heard “consistent testimony about frustration and exhaustion among MPD commanders and the manifestation of a culture of fear, intimidation, threats, and retaliation by Chief Smith.”
“Testimony from experienced and courageous MPD commanders has exposed the truth: Chief Pamela Smith coerced staff to report artificially low crime data and cultivated a culture of fear to achieve her agenda,” Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said, in part. “Chief Smith’s decision to mislead the public by manipulating crime statistics is dangerous and undermines trust in both local leadership and law enforcement. Her planned resignation at the end of the month should not be seen as a voluntary choice, but as an inevitable consequence that should have occurred much earlier. Chief Smith should resign today.”
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that Smith would be stepping down from her position.
Smith said in a statement that her role “has been both challenging and rewarding. I am proud of the accomplishments we achieved together, and I thank the residents of this city for their trust and partnership. While my aspiration has always been to see zero percent crime, we are not there yet. Nonetheless, we have made tremendous progress, and there remains important work ahead.”
