Trump flagged DC crime data concerns months before police suspensions

President Donald Trump had already accused Washington, D.C., officials of reporting inaccurate crime figures months before 13 Metropolitan Police Department officers were placed on leave amid a review of alleged statistics manipulation. According to police leadership, the department’s internal affairs unit completed an investigation into crime reporting and referred the matter earlier this year from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll said some officers are facing termination, and senior officials are also being examined. The controversy traces back to Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to the capital after he said the city had published crime numbers that created a false picture of safety. District officials, Democrats, and local leaders pushed back strongly, while House Oversight Chairman James Comer said the suspensions reflected work exposing efforts to lower reported crime rates. The Metropolitan Police Officers Union later said falsified daily reports had harmed investigations and public safety.