DC police commander suspended, accused of changing crime statistics

Police union says directive to change offense classifications comes from command staff.

By Paul Wagner, News4 Reporter • Published July 18, 2025 • Updated on July 18, 2025

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-police-commander-suspended-crime-statistics/3959566/

"managers were recording serious crimes as more minor ones to make their police districts appear safer or avoid the ire of top department brass" - and that officers and supervisors 'clashed' over "whether an offense was a robbery or a theft, or whether a weapon used in an assault qualified as potentially deadly."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/10/05/doj-pirro-dc-police-crime-data-manipulation-investigation/

Is this the chief who did not know what the term "Chain of Command" meant?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure this is a difficult job. The previous police commissioner talked about how the average murder suspect has multiple felonies.

But they can't get these violent men off the streets because of the judges. So people die in the meantime.

It's a problem. And it's a big reason why Democrats lose

Why is it so difficult for Democrats to get violent men off the streets?

The feds are responsible for violent crime in DC. Trump has made our streets less safe because thousands of people have left DOJ and the qualified prosecuters have quit.

And MPD officers are now charged with accompanying the National Guard — whose numbers have increased, leaving fewer police officers available for doing their original jobs. So, if and when crime increases it will be blamed on the District rather than on the all-too- predictable results of Trump’s policies. And this is happening as prices continue to rise and people are becoming increasingly stressed — if not desperate. I get why so many of Trump’s civilian staff have quietly moved themselves and their families to housing on nearby military bases.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure this is a difficult job. The previous police commissioner talked about how the average murder suspect has multiple felonies.

But they can't get these violent men off the streets because of the judges. So people die in the meantime.

It's a problem. And it's a big reason why Democrats lose

Why is it so difficult for Democrats to get violent men off the streets?

The feds are responsible for violent crime in DC. Trump has made our streets less safe because thousands of people have left DOJ and the qualified prosecuters have quit.

Anonymous wrote:She was forced to retire because she was gaslighting the crime statistics.

I have had an affiliation with MPD since the Lanier days. They were gaslighting the stats back then. This is new. They would list an agg battery as a simple assault. An attempted burglary reclassified as a trespass. The only stat they could not and cannot manipulate were homicides. It is what it is, nothing new under MPD's sun. And a previous poster is correct, the department is woefully understaffed.

Anonymous wrote:When she took the gig she had about 3250 officers to work with. Now she has fewer than 3100. Being an MPD officer is literally a thankless job that nobody really wants despite generous pay and bonuses. Violent criminals and insufferable social justice warriors are over represented in the DC population. No cop wants to protect either group.

They want to protect everyone, but that group makes it impossible.

When she took the gig she had about 3250 officers to work with. Now she has fewer than 3100. Being an MPD officer is literally a thankless job that nobody really wants despite generous pay and bonuses. Violent criminals and insufferable social justice warriors are over represented in the DC population. No cop wants to protect either group.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure this is a difficult job. The previous police commissioner talked about how the average murder suspect has multiple felonies.

But they can't get these violent men off the streets because of the judges. So people die in the meantime.

It's a problem. And it's a big reason why Democrats lose

Why is it so difficult for Democrats to get violent men off the streets?

I was on grand jury at the District court last year and couldn't believe how many repeat offenders there were when they should have still been incarcerated for the previous crime. It's ridiculous and yet we have JLG running for Mayor who wanted to reduce sentencing for criminals.

I'm sure this is a difficult job. The previous police commissioner talked about how the average murder suspect has multiple felonies.

But they can't get these violent men off the streets because of the judges. So people die in the meantime.

It's a problem. And it's a big reason why Democrats lose

Why is it so difficult for Democrats to get violent men off the streets?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Navigating the situation with Trump has got to be a thankless, impossible job. I don't think we need to look much further beyond that.

+1. Prioritizing her own well-being, most likely, and I don’t blame her.

I also believe she was offered a new job. She would not want to wait until 2027 to look.

Anonymous wrote:She was forced to retire because she was gaslighting the crime statistics.

Yep! The DC Police Union is questioning the timing of DC Police Chief Pamela Smith’s resignation, which was announced earlier today.

“The Union questions the timing of this announcement, which comes amid active investigations by the House Oversight Committee and the Department of Justice into allegations of manipulation of crime statistics and mismanagement within the MPD.

These inquiries demand transparency and accountability, and we urge full cooperation to ensure the integrity of our department is upheld.

The Union calls for a comprehensive and deliberate search for the next permanent Chief of Police, in close collaboration with Mayor Bowser and her team,” the press release reads.

Chief Smith became the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department back in 2023 and was able to establish the Real-Time Crime Center, a major technological improvement assisting officers on patrol in real-time.

“I as the chief of police never, would ever say to anyone to alter stats,” Smith said today.

Earlier this year, Chief Smith faced pressure from President Trump’s administration after a federal takeover of her police department and the deployment of federal law enforcement and the National Guard.

“There comes a time when you just know it’s time,” Smith told Axios.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crime came down under her leadership.

Crime has come down everywhere. In many cities, much more so than DC.

She might as well be claiming credit for the weather.

But you'd be the 1st one to blame her if crime was up.

If DC crime diverged from national trends and MPD were dysfunctional, that would be the logical thing to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crime came down under her leadership.

Crime has come down everywhere. In many cities, much more so than DC.

She might as well be claiming credit for the weather.

But you'd be the 1st one to blame her if crime was up.

Anonymous wrote:Crime came down under her leadership.

Crime has come down everywhere. In many cities, much more so than DC.

She might as well be claiming credit for the weather.