Thirteen Washington D.C. police officers are now on administrative leave as the department continues investigating allegations of misconduct related to crime data reporting, interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll announced during a Tuesday news conference.
Carroll revealed that the officers were suspended Monday as part of an ongoing internal probe that launched earlier this year after the U.S. Attorney’s Office made a referral to the department.
When pressed for details about the investigation, Carroll remained tight-lipped. “What I can tell you is there were allegations of misconduct that were made, and based on those allegations, members were investigated, and the outcome is related to these individuals,” he stated.
The interim chief emphasized that none of the officers have been terminated and that they retain their administrative rights, including the ability to request an “adverse action panel” comprised of senior officers who review evidence and decide on potential disciplinary measures. “The administrative process must be allowed to take its course, and that process is outlined in our MPD general orders,” Carroll explained.
The department’s crime data collection methods have come under intense examination over the past year, particularly after former President Donald Trump implemented a month-long emergency directive last summer that placed federal control over the police force and initiated a federal law enforcement initiative in Washington D.C., which his administration claimed was designed to combat crime.
Trump repeatedly highlighted declining crime numbers during and following the operation as evidence that it had transformed the city into the nation’s safest. However, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and other municipal leaders maintained that crime rates were already decreasing before the federal intervention.
GOP officials and the previous administration countered by raising concerns about potential data manipulation, questioning the effectiveness of the federal operation. Both the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Justice Department launched independent inquiries.
A December report from the House Committee revealed that former police Chief Pamela Smith frequently intimidated, disciplined and sought revenge against police supervisors who reported crime increases to her. According to the Republican-controlled congressional committee’s findings, the police chief pressured staff members to alter departmental statistics to create artificially reduced crime figures.
A concurrent investigation conducted by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office discovered that numerous MPD incident reports had been incorrectly categorized to present crime statistics as lower than actual figures. Both investigations concluded without criminal charges being filed. Pirro stated that addressing “these underlying issues” remained the MPD’s responsibility.
House oversight committee chairman James Comer released a statement describing the department’s personnel action regarding crime data manipulation as “a step in the right direction.” However, Comer noted that the move simply validated his committee’s work and stated his expectation “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.”
Carroll, who assumed the interim chief position in December, said Tuesday that officer evaluations and training programs are currently underway to improve data submission procedures. He noted that the internal investigation findings will not be made available to the public.
The chief maintained that the department has achieved success in crime reduction over the past three years, particularly regarding homicides, shootings and carjackings.
“We use crime statistics every day to help us with deployment across the city. I do have confidence in those numbers,” he said.
Bowser has also requested an independent review by the city’s inspector general. That examination commenced in January.
