House Oversight Committee report alleges DC police chief manipulated crime data

By Camila DeChalus, CNN

(CNN) — A new House committee report alleges the former DC police chief pressured officers to manipulate crime data to create the appearance of a safer city.

The report, released Sunday by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, claims there was an active effort to downplay crime in the nation’s capital and that Chief Pamela A. Smith fostered a “toxic management culture.”

The report comes as President Donald Trump has sought greater control over law enforcement in the district, citing a public safety emergency in August. Trump deployed National Guard troops and put the police department “under direct federal control” for 30 days.

The committee’s report said the panel interviewed several current DC district police commanders who claimed Smith retaliated against officers who resisted pressure to skew crime data, including through demotions and transfers.

The report went further and stated Smith “propagated an ecosystem of fear, retaliation, and toxicity,” claiming she placed “intense pressure on district commanders to produce low crime statistics by any means necessary.”

“Every single person who lives, works, or visits the District of Columbia deserves a safe city, yet it’s now clear the American people were deliberately kept in the dark about the true crime rates in our nation’s capital,” House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement.

Smith, who was appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2023, announced last week she was stepping down. In her resignation announcement, she said she was “profoundly grateful” to serve in her role and that she believes she left the department in a “strong position.”

Smith began serving as police chief in an acting capacity in July 2023 and was confirmed to the role by the DC City Council that November.

Smith took over the department during a period of high crime in the city. The Metropolitan Police Department has put out several reports since then showing a steady decline of crime. Its data as of December 12 found that violent crime declined 28% year to date from 2024.

The Metropolitan Police Department and Smith did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Smith has previously denied allegations that she manipulated crime data when she helmed the department.

“I have never and will never authorize or even support any thought processes or activities in regards to crime numbers being manipulated,” she said in a recent interview with local station FOX 5.

The committee recommended that Bowser appoint an independent police chief to restore transparency and morale.

The mayor told CNN in a statement in response to the report that “The precipitous decline in crime in our city is attributable to their hard work and dedication and Chief Smith’s leadership. I thank Chief Smith for her commitment to the safety of DC residents and for holding the Metropolitan Police Department to an exacting standard, and I expect no less from our next Chief of Police.”

CNN previously reported that the Trump Justice Department is also investigating whether the Metropolitan Police Department manipulated crime data.

Despite Trump’s claims this year that crime is “out of control,” data shows violent crime in Washington, DC, has been declining since its 2023 spike, with two years of sustained improvement.

There were 274 reported homicides in 2023, the city’s highest number since 1997. But there was a 32% drop in 2024 to 187 and another 12% fall through August of this year.

Carjackings saw a similar trend. After surging to 959 in 2023, the number of reported carjackings dropped to around 500 in 2024.

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