Justice Department Probes Allegations of Crime Data Manipulation by DC Police

In a significant development that raises questions about transparency in crime reporting, the Justice Department has launched an investigation into the Washington, D.C., police department over allegations of manipulated crime statistics, according to two senior law enforcement officials.

The probe, which is being conducted through the office of D.C.’s U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, appears to be examining whether police officials deliberately altered crime data to create an impression that the city is safer than it actually is. The investigation could potentially extend beyond the police department to include other city officials, though specific charges remain unclear at this time.

The case first gained public attention when NBC Washington reported last month that Metropolitan Police Department commander Michael Pulliam was suspended and placed on leave in May while the department investigated allegations he had tampered with crime data. Pulliam has denied any wrongdoing in the matter.

This federal investigation signals a deeper concern about the accuracy of crime reporting in the nation’s capital, a city that has long struggled with public safety issues. The Washington Post was the first news outlet to report the Justice Department’s formal investigation.

The controversy has already drawn national political attention, with President Donald Trump referencing the investigation on his Truth Social platform Monday. “D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety. This is a very bad and dangerous thing to do, and they are under serious investigation for so doing!” Trump wrote, while promoting his administration’s deployment of federal law enforcement and National Guard to the district.

When questioned about his post, Trump simply stated, “They are giving us phony crime stats.”

The allegations come at a particularly sensitive time as Mayor Muriel Bowser has cited Metropolitan Police Department statistics showing a 26% decrease in violent crime compared to last year. Bowser has used these figures to argue against what she characterizes as an unnecessary federal takeover of local law enforcement.

However, these statistics have faced significant skepticism from within the law enforcement community itself. Gregg Pemberton, who heads the DC Police Union, has publicly questioned the accuracy of the reported crime reduction.

“I think there are some concerns about the accuracy of the numbers,” Pemberton told NBC News last week. He suggested there might be a systematic attempt to “try to keep these numbers down,” calling the reported 26% decrease “preposterous.”

Pemberton painted a starkly different picture of crime in the District than what official statistics suggest. “What we know, what our members know, is that we go call to call to call out on the streets at night, going from robbery to carjacking to stabbing to shooting, and we just know that crime is ubiquitous, and it’s all in every quadrant of the city,” he explained.

The union leader acknowledged that crime rates may have decreased somewhat but expressed strong doubts about the magnitude reported in official data. “I have a real hard time believing that the numbers are down that much,” Pemberton said.

The investigation comes amid broader national debates about crime reporting, policing strategies, and federal versus local control of law enforcement. Accurate crime statistics are crucial for effective policy-making, resource allocation, and maintaining public trust.

Neither the Justice Department nor the U.S. Attorney’s office has offered public comment on the investigation. The Metropolitan Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations.

If substantiated, the allegations could have far-reaching implications for public trust in the District’s crime reporting system and potentially lead to significant reforms in how crime data is collected, verified, and reported to the public.