WASHINGTON — A congressional report by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform accuses D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith of manipulating crime data to present an artificially low crime rate, WTOP reported.
The interim report, based on interviews with current and former commanders of the city’s seven patrol districts, alleges that Smith punished officers who reported accurate crime numbers, created a hostile work environment, and pressured subordinates to reclassify serious crimes as lesser “intermediate offenses” that are not publicly reported, according to the report.
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Smith, who announced her resignation last week, effective at the end of the month, has denied that the investigation played a role in her decision to step down.
The report states Smith emphasized appearances over accuracy, requiring commanders to attend frequent meetings focused on crime data where, according to multiple accounts, they were publicly berated and humiliated. One commander likened the sessions to “atonement for our sins,” while another recalled being told by Smith to “make something up” when they lacked answers.
“I did feel like I did the robberies after I left [the meetings,]” one commander told investigators. “I literally was, like, I swear I did not commit them.”
The alleged manipulation intensified after the D.C. Council passed the Secure D.C. Act in 2024, which introduced new offense categories. Commanders said Smith exploited this system by downgrading crimes, such as reclassifying shootings without injuries from “assault with a dangerous weapon” to “endangerment with a firearm,” to keep them out of public crime databases.
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The report further alleges Smith fostered an “echo chamber” within the Metropolitan Police Department, where dissent was punished through reassignment or other disciplinary action, according to the report. Some officers have reportedly left or considered early retirement due to the internal environment under her leadership.
The Justice Department has reportedly completed a separate investigation into crime data manipulation and may release its findings soon. The House Oversight Committee said it released the interim report now to provide transparency following Smith’s resignation and to protect witnesses from potential retaliation.
D.C. Police have not issued a public response to the report as of Dec. 14.
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