House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer launched an investigation on Monday into the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) crime data, alleging that the force manipulated the information to hide the scope of crime in the nation’s capital.
Comer wrote a letter to MPD Chief of Police Pamela Smith on Monday, noting that the department recently made a settlement regarding allegations that senior officials falsified the city’s crime statistics, and Third District Commander Michael Pulliam was placed on administrative leave following allegations that he altered crime reports.
The committee is requesting documents, information, and transcribed interviews with Pulliam and the District Commanders of all seven patrol districts by Sept. 2.
“A whistleblower with knowledge of internal MPD operations and discussions around crime statistics provided the Committee with information related to allegations that crime statistics were manipulated on a widespread basis and at the direction of supervisory officials within MPD,” Comer wrote.
“According to the whistleblower, although MPD took action with respect to a single District Commander, this problem potentially impacts all seven patrol districts,” he went on.
Also, the whistleblower indicated “that MPD leadership routinely instructed District Commanders to downgrade charges to artificially reduce certain crime statistics,” the letter reads.
Comer also noted that President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the capital earlier this month “is a direct response to a lack of faith in city leadership to put an end to high levels of violent crime.”
