Trump Not Charging D.C. Police?
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, announced that her office has confirmed Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department improperly manipulated crime statistics—but determined the conduct does not meet the legal standard for federal criminal charges.
The findings come after a House Oversight Committee investigation accused senior MPD officials of altering crime data to make public safety conditions appear better than they actually were in the nation’s capital.
Oversight Report Details Leadership Failures at MPD
According to the committee’s interim report, based on interviews with eight high-ranking MPD commanders, department leadership fostered what lawmakers described as a “toxic management culture.” The report alleged that former Police Chief Pamela Smith oversaw or allowed the misclassification of crimes in order to artificially reduce reported crime rates.
Smith announced last week that she will resign from her position effective December 31.
Nearly 6,000 Reports Reviewed in Federal Probe
In a statement released Monday, Pirro said the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted its own independent investigation into what it called the “deflation” of crime data within the department.
That review included:
- Nearly 6,000 police incident reports
- Interviews with more than 50 witnesses
- An internal analysis of crime classification practices
“After a thorough and comprehensive review, it is clear that a significant number of incidents were misclassified,” Pirro said. “This resulted in crime appearing artificially lower than it actually was.”
Crime in DC Higher Than Public Was Told
Pirro said the findings confirm that violent crime and serious offenses in Washington, D.C., were substantially higher than what was publicly reported, raising serious concerns about transparency and accountability in local law enforcement leadership.
She also said the revelations reinforce the effectiveness of President Donald Trump’s law-and-order policies.
“The discovery of altered crime data shows that President Trump’s impact on reducing crime was greater than previously understood,” Pirro said. “Since actual crime levels were higher, his public safety policies produced even stronger results for District residents.”
No Criminal Charges, But Accountability Still Required
Despite the scope of the misreporting, Pirro said federal prosecutors concluded the conduct does not qualify as a criminal offense under current federal law.
“This conduct does not rise to the level of a criminal charge,” Pirro said, adding that responsibility now falls to MPD leadership to address the failures internally and restore public trust.
The case has renewed criticism of crime reporting practices in Democrat-run cities, where opponents argue political pressure and image management often take priority over honest reporting and public safety.
