D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith Faces Allegations of Data Manipulation to Downplay Crime Rates

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has released a report accusing the Metropolitan Police Department of deliberately manipulating and lowering publicly reported crime statistics in the District of Columbia under outgoing police chief Pamela Smith.

In its findings, the committee stated that commanders testified there were “clear pressures placed on MPD personnel to lower the classifications of crime” to create a public image of low crime. The report, titled “How D.C.’s Police Chief Undermined Crime Data Accuracy,” specifically highlighted an emphasis on the daily crime report (DCR)—a dataset containing only nine categories of felony offenses—over all other crimes.

According to the committee, Smith “was so preoccupied with the statistics of the select crimes that were made public that she incentivized her subordinates to lower those crimes by whatever means necessary.”

The panel interviewed seven acting commanders and one suspended commander during its investigation. Additionally, a separate probe by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office found significant misclassifications in MPD reports designed to make crime rates appear lower than they actually are.

Smith has denied any manipulation, stating: “I have never and will never authorize or even support any thought processes or activities with regards to crime numbers being manipulated.”

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser defended Smith’s tenure, accusing the committee of rushing to judgment for “political motivation.” In a letter to the committee leaders, Bowser wrote, “It is my expectation that the crime statistics we publish and rely on are accurate and of the highest quality possible.” She also noted that “even a cursory review of the report reveals its prejudice: Of the 22 block quotes presented as complaining about Chief Smith’s management style, 20 of them were made by only two command officials interviewed.”

The latest MPD data shows homicides have fallen by 31% this year, from 181 in 2024 to 125 with just two weeks remaining in 2025.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.