WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has launched an investigation into whether Washington, D.C. police officers fake data to make crime rates appear lower, according to two people familiar with the investigation they are not allowed to publicly discuss public investigations.
The investigation comes amid an escalation and political showdown between the Trump administration and the city over control of the police department. It was not immediately clear how federal law was violated by the possibility of manipulation of criminal data.
President Donald Trump argued that violent crimes in Washington were getting worse when he ordered a federal takeover of the city Police Stationfloods the streets with hundreds of National Guard members. But he Exaggerated or incorrect condition Many facts about public safety in Washington, where crime rates have been declining in recent years.
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office declined to comment on the investigation. A spokesman for the office of US lawyer Jeannine Pirro in Washington did not respond to an email seeking comment.
New York Times I first reported on the investigation.
Earlier this year, the Capital Police Station commander suspected of manipulating crime data was placed on paid administrative leave. NBC Washington reported. Bowser told the TV station last Tuesday that the city’s police chief “has been concerned about one commander and has investigated all seven districts and confirmed that the concerns are with one person.”
“So we’ve completed that investigation and I don’t think it’s relevant in many cases,” the mayor added.
Piro’s predecessor and former US lawyer Ed Martin, Trump’s first choice to lead Trump’s office, said violent crimes in Washington had declined in the first 100 days since Trump returned to the White House in January. in News Release on April 28thMartin’s office said MPD data showed violent crime had fallen by 25% since its inception in 2025.
“We are proving that strong enforcement and wise policies can make our communities safer,” Martin said in the release.
___
Associated Press Writer Matt Brown contributed to this report.
