The House Oversight Committee is investigating allegations that Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) leadership has been manipulating crime statistics to understate violent crime in the city. The inquiry involves MPD officials, D.C. government leaders, responding officers, and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves.
Sources claim that city officials have systematically downgraded violent crime charges, with the practice reportedly beginning at the scene of incidents and continuing through the judicial process. A reserve officer with MPD described how 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 said.
The officer added that this process discourages accurate reporting of violent crimes. A separate review revealed 25 instances of “endangerment with a firearm” being used in arrests between September 2023 and late 2024, though the actual number may be higher. This reclassification, alongside selective use of crime categories, has fueled questions about D.C.’s reported 35% decline in violent crime from 2023 to 2024.
The investigation also highlights changes in legal classifications, including a 2023 law introduced by D.C. Council Democrats that replaced “assault with a dangerous weapon” with “endangerment with a firearm.” While both are felonies, only the former is categorized as violent in MPD data.
Additionally, former U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves faced scrutiny for declining to prosecute numerous cases, including assaults on police officers. In 2023, his office reportedly dropped 42% of charges. Graves was later replaced by Jeanine Pirro after President Donald J. Trump’s second-term inauguration in January 2025.
