From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement

Ahhh jeeze! I can't find my knees.
Oldest trick in the law enforcement book.
Just don't record crime!

from https://www.nationalreview.com/news/d-c-police-chief-pressured-staff-into-manipulating-crime-data-to-mislead-public-house-report-finds/

D.C. Police Chief Pressured Staff into Manipulating Crime Data to
Mislead Public, House Report Finds
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith speaks during a
press conference with Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to give an
update on the National Guard deployment ordered by President Donald
Trump, in Washington D.C., August 27, 2025.

By James Lynch
December 15, 2025 5:37 PM
105 Comments

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The head of Washington, D.C.rCOs police department pressured staff to
falsely report crime statistics and pushed for greater use of lesser
charges for certain offenses in order to manipulate D.C.rCOs crime data, according to a new House investigation.

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Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith pressured lower
ranking commanders to produce lower crime statistics and created a
culture of fear and punished officers who did not follow her commands,
the House Oversight Committee revealed in a new report.

rCLTestimony 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,rCY Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) said.

rCLChief SmithrCOs 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.rCY

National Review has reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department
for comment.

Rather than focusing on lowering actual crime levels, Smith prioritized reduced public crime statistics above all, according to the report. She
did so through pressuring employees and retaliating against them if they produced negative crime reports.

rCLCommanders testified they regularly expected to be berated and
embarrassed by Chief Smith in mandatory crime briefings if they brought
news of an increase in reported crime numbers. Commanders also noted
they believed their positions and livelihoods were dependent on
reporting low crime numbers to Chief Smith. Various commanders testified
to observing several of their fellow commanders being removed or demoted immediately following a negative crime report,rCY the Oversight
CommitteerCOs report reads.

Additionally, Smith created the expectation that she and her team would
have to review the crimes that would impact public crime statistics when
they were being entered into police systems. Making matters worse, Smith sought an increased use in lower-level criminal charges that would go unreported to the public, instead of more serious charges that would be
part of the policerCOs public crime data.

The Oversight CommitteerCOs report is based on testimony from eight commanders, one of whom is on suspension for allegedly altering crime statistics. The panel protected the names of the commanders to prevent retaliation against them. Each one of the reportrCOs assertions about SmithrCOs leadership cites testimony the commanders gave behind closed doors.

Commanders are important conduits in the D.C. police hierarchy because
they oversee geographic districts and report to executive-level staff.
The commandersrCOs experience in law enforcement ranges from 16-27 years
each. Due to their experience, the Oversight Committee considers them
credible witnesses. Upon SmithrCOs resignation, the Oversight Committee recommends D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) appoint a new police chief who
will address the manipulated crime statistics head on.

In August, Comer launched the investigation following President TrumprCOs decision to deploy the National Guard in Washington to quell violent
crime. TrumprCOs use of the National Guard led to a noticeable drop in criminal activity across D.C. during the initial days of the deployment.

It also sparked a national debate about D.C.rCOs crime statistics because critics of Trump attributed the reductions in crime after the National
Guard deployment to existing trends in the cityrCOs crime stats. After
years of being plagued by violent crime, D.C.rCOs publicly available 2025 crime data showed a remarkable 25 percent reduction in violent crime.

Several of the D.C. police commanders believed TrumprCOs deployment of the National Guard was an effective measure for countering violent crime,
given the departmentrCOs existing personnel issues. National Guard troops
have been visible in some of Washington, D.C.rCOs most popular locations
over the past few months. Last month, a judge found TrumprCOs National
Guard deployment to be illegal, but an appellate court recently paused
the decision for the time being.

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