Federal prosecutors are investigating whether police officials in Washington, D.C., manipulated crime statistics.
Why It Matters
The probe comes amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and the city over control of the police department. It remains unclear which federal laws might apply if crime data were indeed altered.
What To Know
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro is leading the investigation, according to The New York Times, which first reported the story. The Associated Press later confirmed the news.
The inquiry follows an NBC Washington report that a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) commander was placed on administrative leave amid allegations of manipulating crime statistics.
Michael Pulliam, the official in question, has denied any wrongdoing. The MPD told Newsweek it does not comment on “active internal investigations and personnel matters,” referring back to MPD Chief Pamela A. Smith’s statement that the department “is committed to upholding the trust and the confidence of the public.”
“Any irregularity in crime data brought to my attention will be addressed immediately. I do not condone any official reclassifying criminal offenses outside the guidelines set in MPD policy,” Smith said. “Any allegation of this behavior will be dealt with through our internal processes, which will ensure those members are held accountable.”
She added, “I have the utmost confidence in the command staff leadership currently in place across the Metropolitan Police Department.”
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump posted on social media Tuesday: “D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety. This is a very bad and dangerous thing to do, and they are under serious investigation for so doing!”
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser told NBC Washington last week that Smith “had concerns about one commander, investigated all seven districts and verified that the concern was with one person.”
Bowser added, “So, we are completing that investigation and we don’t believe it implicates many cases.”
What Happens Next
The Trump administration has not indicated when federal troops will leave Washington, D.C. On Monday, Republican governors from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to the capital, raising the total number of states involved to six.
