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Simply weeks earlier than President Donald Trump federalized the Washington, D.C., police drive over crime woes, the Metropolitan Police Division was hit with accusations of allegedly juking crime stats for extra favorable outcomes.
“When our members reply to the scene of a felony offense the place there’s a sufferer reporting {that a} felony occurred, inevitably there will probably be a lieutenant or a captain that may present up on that scene and direct these members to take a report for a lesser offense,” D.C. Police Union chairman Gregg Pemberton advised NBC Washington in July of an alleged development to control crime stats.
“So, as a substitute of taking a report for a taking pictures or a stabbing or a carjacking, they are going to order that officer to take a report for a theft or an injured individual to the hospital or a felony assault, which isn’t the identical sort of classification.”
The accusations from the union chief adopted the police division suspending Washington, D.C., police commander Michael Pulliam in mid-Might for allegedly altering crime statistics in his district, native media reported in July.
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The Metropolitan Police Division in Washington, D.C., is accused of adjusting crime stats. (Getty Photographs)
The police commander was accused of falsifying crime information to make crime traits look extra favorable for the town, however has denied the allegations. Every week earlier than his suspension, Pulliam filed an equal employment alternative criticism towards a higher-up, native outlet NBC Washington reported.
Pulliam is presently beneath investigation over allegedly altering stats. The Metropolitan Police Division advised Fox Information Digital Thursday, when requested for added remark and updates on the case, that it “doesn’t touch upon inside investigations or personnel issues.”
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The accusations over altering crime stats have been quickly adopted by Trump federalizing the police division on Monday in response to a spate of high-profile killings and assaults, in addition to a criminal offense wave within the District that has persevered for the reason that 2020 period. The president federalized the native police division beneath part 740 of the District of Columbia House Rule Act, which permits the president to imagine emergency management of the capital’s police drive for 30 days.
President Donald Trump speaks to the press about deploying federal legislation enforcement brokers in Washington, D.C., Aug. 11, 2025. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
“Our capital metropolis has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of untamed youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless individuals,” Trump mentioned Monday. “And we’re not going to let it occur anymore. We’re not going to take it.”
“We’re taking it again beneath the authority vested in me because the president of america, I am formally invoking part 740 of the District of Columbia House Rule Act,” he added. ” what that’s. And inserting the D.C. Metropolitan Police Division beneath direct federal management.… As well as, I am deploying the Nationwide Guard to assist reestablish legislation, order and public security in Washington, D.C. And they are going to be allowed to do their job correctly.”
On Thursday, Trump railed towards the accusations of manipulating crime information within the District.
“They’re beneath investigation proper now,” Trump mentioned Thursday throughout an Oval Workplace press convention. “They’re giving this phony crime stats similar to they gave different stats within the monetary world. However they’re phony crime stats. And Washington, D.C., is at its worst level, and it’ll quickly be at its finest level. You are gonna have a really protected, you are going to have a crime-free metropolis.”
Trump-aligned authorized group America First Authorized Basis, which was based by White Home advisor Stephen Miller, completely advised Fox Digital Thursday that it filed a FOIA request searching for all crime information and information compiled by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Division, together with any information “reflecting the falsification or non-publication” of crime information and statistics.
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Democratic lawmakers and native liberal leaders have slammed Trump over federalizing the town – which has included a whole lot of Nationwide Guard members flooding D.C., in addition to legislation enforcement officers from businesses such because the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Capitol Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives aiding with Trump’s legislation and order crackdown – claiming crime is at a 30-year low.
Cops arrange a roadside checkpoint on 14th Avenue Northwest on Aug. 13, 2025, in Washington, following the federalization of the D.C. police. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Photographs)
“Violent crime in Washington, D.C. is at a 30-year low,” Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., mentioned Monday. “Donald Trump has no foundation to take over the native police division. And 0 credibility on the problem of legislation and order. Get misplaced.”
“As you take heed to an unhinged Trump attempt to justify deploying the Nationwide Guard in DC, this is actuality: Violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low,” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted to X.
Washington, D.C., was among the many cities caught up in a spiking nationwide crime development in 2020 – when the COVID-19 pandemic raged and protests and riots overtook cities nationwide – recording 198 homicides that yr, which marked a 16-year excessive for the town. Homicides jumped to 226 in 2021, edged all the way down to 203 in 2022 and soared in 2023 to 274 – a 20-year excessive.
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D.C. noticed homicides drop by roughly 31% from 2023 to 2024, in line with year-end Metropolitan Police Division information reporting 187 in 2024. The info reveals violent crime throughout the board fell by roughly 35% from 2023, when the division reported 5,345 incidents, to 2024, when it reported 3,469.
Legislation enforcement officers make arrests following President Trump’s federalization of the town. (Andrew Leyden/Getty Photographs)
A examine revealed in July by the Council on Prison Justice discovered the possibilities of an individual going through a violent crime in Washington, D.C., have dropped in recent times, however the potential for dying throughout such a criminal offense has skyrocketed.
The examine examined violent crime information from 17 massive U.S. cities between 2018 and 2024, particularly investigating the lethality of violent crimes in these cities. It discovered Washington, D.C., had the very best lethality stage out of the group – which included Baltimore and Chicago – at a 38% improve in lethality in 2024 in contrast with 2018.
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Lethality in D.C. jumped by a whopping 341% when in comparison with 2012 information, the examine discovered, reporting that there have been 13 homicides per 1,000 severe violent crimes in 2012 to 57 homicides per 1,000 severe violent crimes in 2024.
The examine outlined lethality as “the variety of homicides per aggravated assaults and robberies.”
President Donald Trump introduced the federalization of Washington, D.C.’s police drive on Aug. 11, 2025. (Getty)
“You might have much less probability of being victimized, however if you’re victimized, you will have extra of an opportunity of dying,” John Jay adjunct lecturer Jillian Snider, a retired New York Police Division officer, advised Fox Information Digital Tuesday of violent crime traits within the nation’s capital.
The District’s police union chief advised Fox Information Monday that it helps Trump’s federalization whereas slamming claims crime has ticked down within the metropolis.
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“We utterly agree with the president right here that crime within the district is uncontrolled and one thing must be about it,” Pemberton mentioned in assist of Trump’s actions throughout an interview on FOX Enterprise. “This idea that crime is down is de facto an outdated trope. They’re utilizing statistics in a manner that makes it seem that crime goes down, however our rank-in-file officers know that we’re going name to name to name, for armed carjackings, stabbings, robberies, shootings, homicides and the crime is not going anyplace.”
Fox Information Digital reached out to the union for added touch upon the matter, however didn’t instantly obtain a reply.
Fox Information Digital’s Hannah Panreck and Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
