The House Oversight Republicans released a preliminary report accusing Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela A. Smith of manipulating crime data to make the city appear safer.
Smith resigned last week, citing “family, and also being more present with loved ones” after two years.
The Committee interviewed commanders:
The Committee’s ongoing investigation has heard testimonies from commanders that there are clear pressures placed on MPD personnel to lower the classifications of crime to present to the public the perception of low crime in the District. Specifically, there was an emphasis on the daily crime report (DCR), a public-facing dataset that only includes nine categories of felony offenses, above all other crimes discussed within the highest levels of the MPD. Chief Smith, the commanders testified, was so preoccupied with the statistics of the select crimes that were made public that she incentivized her subordinates to lower those crimes by whatever means necessary.MPD commanders’ testimonies corroborated concerns about alleged manipulations of crime statistics. In fact, commanders told the Committee that, on numerous occasions, they were not only pressured, but also instructed, to lower crime classifications to lesser intermediate offenses in such a way that those offenses would not be included in the DCR reported to the public. In sharing this alarming information, the commanders, throughout their transcribed interviews, presented as seasoned law enforcement professionals who were credible and qualified to speak to the issues currently plaguing the MPD.The Committee’s investigation, which began as an inquiry into allegations of manipulation of crime statistics in the District, also uncovered concerning accounts about the deterioration of MPD leadership through the toxic management culture created by Chief Smith. The Committee’s investigation heard consistent testimony about frustration and exhaustion among MPD commanders and the manifestation of a culture of fear, intimidation, threats, and retaliation by Chief Smith. Often, these manifestations were triggered whenever the Chief was presented with what she considers “bad news,” particularly when that news pertained to any rise in public crime statistics. Chief Smith, according to testimonies, regularly took action against her subordinates who failed to aid in the preservation of her public image.
The Committee concluded that Smith’s actions led to a drop in the police department’s reputation.
“Chief Smith’s failures as leader have negatively impacted the Department’s ability to retain officers and commanders, many of whom devoted years of service to the MPD prior to Chief Smith,” according to the report. “Commanders testified that retention problems have left the Department severely lacking in the ability to train and recruit future MPD leaders.”
The Commanders told the Committee that they knew Smith would berate and embarrass them in meetings if they reported any increase in crime data.
“Various commanders testified to observing several of their fellow commanders being removed or demoted immediately following a negative crime report,” the Republicans wrote.
Not only that, but Smith made it mandatory that she and her assistant chiefs review “many of the crimes specifically affecting public crime statistics” before anyone inserted them into the MPD systems.
Smith also pushed officers to use “intermediate criminal charges.”
Those are “lower degree criminal charges that go unreported to the public.”
Therefore, categorizing a crime as an intermediate criminal charge means the MPD does not have to report it.
The 22-page report is infuriating. I attached it below for you to read. I encourage it.
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