Washington DC Metro Police Scandal Erupts as 13 High-Ranking Officers Face Termination for Manipulating Data

The head of Washington, D.C.‘s Metropolitan Police Department announced high-level leadership changes on Tuesday following an internal investigation. Thirteen members have reportedly been put on administrative leave and may face termination for manipulating crime statistics. Notably, President Donald Trump cited claims of distorted crime and apparently confirmed an investigation into the same on his social media handle.

According to The Washington Post, D.C. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll spoke about the recent investigation and said that it has affected the job roles of captains, commanders, and other high-ranking officials. He said that the proposed disciplinary action stems from an internal affairs investigation into claims that crime data was allegedly manipulated to make the city appear safe.

Despite the investigation, he expressed his faith in D.C.’s numbers as he said, “We use crime statistics every day to help us with deployment across the city. I do have confidence in those numbers.”

A CNN report also quoted Carroll, who clarified that no one was “fired,” adding that some people were given paperwork notifying them that they had been placed on administrative leave while their termination was being considered. He also stated that 13 members were “already on administrative leave” for some other matters earlier.

During the conference, he also stressed that crime rates in the district have decreased. He said, “Let me be clear, we have made meaningful progress over the last three years in reducing crime. Homicides, shootings, and carjackings have fallen steadily since 2023.”

The officers accused of manipulation will reportedly be given a chance to present their case through the department’s disciplinary system, a process that may lead to negotiations and take years to finish. TWP report cites Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), the head of the House Oversight Committee, as he lauded the investigation, calling it “a step in the right direction.”

In an official statement, Comer further stressed that terminations have occurred due to the House Oversight Committee’s investigation, which he said uncovered attempts by local MPD leaders to reduce crime statistics.

It was in August 2025 that Trump appeared to confirm an investigation into whether the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. had manipulated crime data. A part of his post on Truth Social said, “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!”

Notably, Carroll also insisted that earlier this year, the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office first sent the case to the MPD, after it began its own review of the crime data last summer. The House Oversight Committee, led by Republicans, also launched an investigation into D.C.’s crime rates and later released a report accusing former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith of forcing officers to compromise crime data to make the city appear safer.

The CNN report notes that just two years after serving as a top cop, Smith resigned amid intense scrutiny, denying any wrongdoing. “Let’s be really clear about one thing – never would I, never will I ever compromise my integrity for a few crime numbers,” she had said in her farewell speech.