The US Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether police officials in Washington, DC, falsified crime statistics to make crime rates appear lower, two people familiar with the inquiry told the Associated Press (AP). They were not authorised to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation.
The probe comes as President Donald Trump’s administration faces a dispute with city officials over control of the police department. It is not yet clear which federal laws may apply if crime data was manipulated, AP said.
Trump has argued that violent crime in Washington is getting worse as he ordered a federal takeover of the city’s police department, deploying hundreds of National Guard troops.
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However, Trump has exaggerated or misstated some figures, with crime rates having declined in recent years.
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office declined to comment on the investigation, while a spokesperson for US Attorney Jeannine Pirro’s office in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. The New York Times first reported the probe.
Earlier this year, NBC Washington reported that a Metropolitan Police Department commander suspected of altering crime data was placed on administrative leave. Bowser told the station last week that the police chief “had concerns about one commander, investigated all seven districts and verified that the concern was with one person”.
“So, we are completing that investigation and we don’t believe it implicates many cases,” she added.
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Former interim US Attorney Ed Martin, Trump’s first pick to lead the office before Pirro, said violent crime had fallen in Washington during Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House. His office said in an April 28 news release that violent crime had dropped by 25 percent since January.
“We are proving that strong enforcement and smart policies can make our communities safer,” Martin said at the time.
