In a development that could shake public trust in law enforcement transparency, the Department of Justice has launched an investigation into allegations that the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) may have manipulated crime data to downplay the city’s worsening public safety crisis.
According to reports from The Washington Post and The New York Times, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office is spearheading the probe, which comes amid President Donald Trump’s ongoing crackdown on D.C. crime.
Sources familiar with the inquiry suggest that the investigation is focused on whether D.C. officials presented a deliberately skewed picture of the city’s violent crime statistics — potentially excluding key categories of offenses to fabricate a decline in violence during the 2024 calendar year.
Trump himself responded with trademark bluntness.
The implications are serious. In May, the MPD suspended a police commander after internal allegations surfaced that he may have altered crime figures for his district. While the department has not released details, NBC4 Washington reported in July that the suspension was linked to “questionable data changes.”
The concern isn't just that a single official acted improperly — it’s that a broader culture of statistical massaging may have taken hold, possibly to protect reputations, secure political points, or downplay a narrative of rising lawlessness in the nation’s capital.
This comes as D.C. faces growing scrutiny over its handling of violent crime, carjackings, and assaults — and as federal agencies reconsider how closely to coordinate with city officials in light of safety concerns. Despite MPD’s previous claims of crime “declines,” city residents and visitors have continued reporting alarming levels of violence in some neighborhoods.
Neither the DOJ nor the MPD have issued public statements regarding the investigation, but the political and institutional ramifications are already unfolding. If these allegations prove true, the fallout could extend well beyond a single department — calling into question the credibility of urban crime reporting nationwide.