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The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s crime statistics collection experienced a prolonged, systemic breakdown of its internal control system, according to a report released Tuesday by the city’s inspector general. The investigation, conducted at the request of Mayor Muriel Bowser in December, reviewed the department’s crime data collection and reporting processes spanning from 2015 through 2025, examining procedures after federal authorities accused the department of manipulating figures.
The report did not indicate fraud or intentional wrongdoing, but it documented significant failures in how the department gathered and reported crime statistics. The inspector general found that crime reporting controls broke down substantially over the decade examined, with the report identifying critical gaps in oversight mechanisms that had previously existed to verify the accuracy of reported data.
A critical finding involved the 2013 dissolution of an independent crime review unit. The report revealed that after this unit was eliminated, no dedicated team remained responsible for reviewing crime reports before they became official statistics. This absence of independent oversight left the system vulnerable to errors and inconsistencies in how crimes were classified and recorded.
The findings align with a separate investigation conducted by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office, which also concluded that a significant number of MPD reports had been misclassified to make crime rates appear lower than actual levels. Pirro’s investigation began in August at the height of political tension between the Trump administration and city officials, after President Donald Trump issued a monthlong emergency order that federalized the police force. While Trump claimed violent crime in Washington was worsening as justification for the federal action, local officials maintained that crime was already declining when the intervention occurred. Neither the inspector general’s report nor Pirro’s investigation found grounds for criminal charges.
The report made five key recommendations to improve the department’s crime data integrity. These include establishing a permanent, independent crime report review function with appropriately trained personnel who have authority to return reports to officers for correction. The inspector general also recommended strengthening controls over the department’s records management system, updating outdated policies, and conducting regular audits of crime-reporting accuracy.
The department has already begun implementing some reforms in response to the findings. In February 2026, the department developed and launched mandatory training focused on proper crime classification under D.C. code. Additionally, MPD is in the process of reestablishing its Staff Review Unit, which previously served as an independent examination function responsible for reviewing classification accuracy and report quality.
The investigation also led to administrative actions in May when interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll announced that 13 officers had been placed on administrative leave in connection with an internal investigation into how the department maintains crime statistics. As of the latest update, eleven remain on administrative leave while two have separated from service.
In recent months, the department has taken steps to address the systemic failures identified in the inspector general’s report. The Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement confirming that it is implementing increased training across the department and has established a Data Quality and Compliance Branch tasked with enforcing objective reporting and conducting systematic reviews of police reports.
The findings underscore how crime data serves as a foundational element for operational decision-making by police, resource allocation decisions by the District government, and public evaluation of community safety. The prolonged breakdown in internal controls calls into question the reliability of crime statistics that have shaped public perception and policy decisions over the past decade. The inspector general’s recommendations aim to restore public confidence in the accuracy and integrity of the city’s crime reporting system going forward.