DOJ investigating allegations of DC crime stats being manipulated by department heads

The Department of Justice has reportedly launched an investigation into allegations that crime statistics in Washington, DC have been manipulated by police to make it appear as though crime rates are lower.

People familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that the federal probe is expected to go beyond DC police commander Michael Pulliam, who was placed on leave in May over allegations of manipulating crime data, and examine the actions of other local officials.

Per NBC 4, US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro’s office will be heading the investigation. 

President Donald Trump, who federalized DC’s police department earlier in August in an attempt to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital, wrote on 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!"

"Until 4 days ago, Washington, D.C., was the most unsafe “city” in the United States, and perhaps the World. Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest, and getting better every single hour! People are flocking to D.C. again, and soon, the beautification will begin!"

DC’s police union has accused officials in the department of directing officers to downgrade serious offenses such as shootings, stabbings, and carjackings to lesser charges like theft or “injured person” reports to keep official numbers low.

"When our members respond to the scene of a felony offense where there is a victim reporting that a felony occurred, inevitably there will be a lieutenant or a captain that will show up on that scene and direct those members to take a report for a lesser offense," said Fraternal Order of Police Chairman Gregg Pemberton.

"When management officials are directing officers to take reports for felony assault, or if they’re going back into police databases and changing offenses to felony assault, felony assault is not a category of crime that’s listed on the department’s daily crime stats," he continued. "It’s also not something that’s a requirement of the FBI’s uniform crime reporting program. So, by changing criminal offenses from, for example, ADW bat or ADW gun to felony assault, that would avoid both the MPD and the FBI from reporting that as a part one or a felony offense."

"What we’ve heard through our members and through members of management that were willing to talk with the union is that this is a directive from the command staff, is that they wanna make sure that these classifications of these reports are adjusted over time to make sure that the overall crime stats stay down." Pemberton added.