The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has dismissed several employees for allegedly falsifying crime statistics, as reported on Monday.
At least three officers received redundancy notices from the Home Office after being investigated for their roles in manipulating crime data. This includes Tatiana Savoy, the 2nd District Commander, and Commander Michael Pulliam, who has denied any wrongdoing and was previously on paid leave.
Major reforms have been triggered following findings from two congressional inquiries. Reportedly, under Smith’s leadership, the credibility of D.C. crime data came into question, with claims that the MPD downgraded numerous crimes to depict a lower crime rate. One report in December suggested that MPD data was likely unreliable, highlighting issues with the documentation of violent crimes.
An exclusive report from last October suggested that both the police and D.C. government often allowed certain suspects to evade more severe charges, from the crime scene to court. The directive to underreport violent crimes reportedly came from higher authorities, permeating throughout the department.
On Monday, additional staff were informed that they might face termination or disciplinary action.
The House Oversight Committee’s report, titled “How D.C.’s Police Chief Undermines the Accuracy of Crime Data,” specifically criticized former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith for her inadequate handling of crime in the city. The Justice Department’s findings accused her of fostering a culture of fear that pressured the manipulation of crime statistics. Smith resigned in December, shortly after these reports were released.
