The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department is currently cleaning house in a way we haven’t seen in years. Several heavy hitters in the command staff just got their walking papers because they were caught cooking the books on crime stats.
Basically, the “illusion of safety” in D.C. was being manufactured in spreadsheet cells rather than on the streets. High-ranking officials were caught pressuring commanders to downgrade violent felonies into “lesser offenses” to keep the political heat off. This isn’t just an internal HR issue, it’s a full-blown integrity crisis that has the House Oversight Committee and the Feds breathing down their necks. After letting the city turn into a war zone this cleanup feels way overdue. Fire enough of them and watch the next crime spike finally meet real resistance on the streets.
Alleged “culture of fear” to force data manipulation
“The D.C. Police Union on Tuesday confirmed that the Metropolitan Police Department had sent termination papers to “multiple high-ranking command staff officials” in connection with a scandal over falsified crime data.
The Department of Justice last year accused the MPD of falsifying its crime data show a marked drop in criminal incidents. In March, Executive Assistant Chief for Patrol Operations Andre Wright and his wife, Inspector Natasha Wright, were placed on leave in connection with the scandal.
“Today, the department is finally acting on those truths,” the union said. “Multiple top officials implicated in the scandal are now facing termination for their roles in the manipulation scheme. It should not have taken threats from Congress to complete this necessary investigation and deliver accountability.””
Multiple D.C. police leaders face termination, officials say