Several DC police leaders face termination amid crime data probe, Post reports

WASHINGTON - Multiple high‑ranking D.C. police officials are facing termination or other disciplinary action, four officials told the Washington Post on Monday, as the department comes under heightened scrutiny from federal authorities.

What we know:

According to the report, two assistant police chiefs are among those recommended for discipline, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

At least some of the proposed actions stem from an internal affairs investigation into alleged manipulation of crime data, the officials said. The city, the Department of Justice and congressional Republicans are all examining the matter.

Those accused of misconduct will have the chance to respond through the department’s disciplinary system, a process that can lead to arbitration and, in some cases, take years to resolve.

If enacted, the recommended terminations and other penalties could trigger a significant shake‑up in the department’s top ranks. 

READ MORE: House Oversight Committee demands DC police records on alleged crime data manipulation

The moves would also create immediate staffing challenges as some officials are placed on administrative leave.

Assistant Chief LaShay Makal and Second District Commander Tatjana Savoy have been placed on administrative leave, D.C. police spokesman Tom Lynch said. He declined to explain why the two were removed from duty.

Two officials familiar with the matter said Makal and Savoy are among those facing potential discipline in the crime‑statistics investigation. Makal declined to comment, and Savoy was not reachable Monday, according to the Post.

Two other senior officials, Assistant Chief Andre Wright and former Third District Commander Michael Pulliam, also face potential discipline and were already on administrative leave. 

Wright was on leave after inappropriate text messages were allegedly found on his phone, while Pulliam had previously been the subject of a crime‑statistics‑related investigation, according to prior reporting by the Post.

Attorney Pamela Keith, who represents one of the captains facing termination, said her client would not comment on the allegations. She said she believes the investigation is pulling in managers who did not intentionally try to downplay crime, arguing some are being accused of improperly changing crime reports when they were correcting misclassifications, a common practice in the department, she said.

READ MORE: Emotional sendoff as DC police chief steps down as crime data probe looms

News of possible discipline over crime statistics is expected to draw more GOP criticism of the District.

House Oversight Republicans said they would continue pressing for answers and called on the police department to release every document from its internal investigation into manipulated crime data.

Lynch earlier declined to confirm any proposed terminations or discuss details, saying the department cannot comment on personnel matters or internal investigations. Susana Castillo, spokeswoman for Mayor Muriel Bowser, also declined to comment, the Post reported.

The District has reported a drop in overall crime in recent years after a sharp spike in 2023. Still, some within the department have long complained that certain managers routinely downgraded crime classifications to make their districts appear safer or avoid criticism from top leadership.

President Donald Trump intensified scrutiny of the department last summer, arguing that crime was worse than city statistics showed as he moved to take temporary control of the force. He focused in particular on reports that Pulliam had been investigated for improperly changing crime classifications. Pulliam has denied wrongdoing.

The Justice Department and congressional Republicans opened investigations, and dozens of D.C. officers voluntarily came forward with information, seeing a chance to raise long‑standing concerns about how some managers classified crimes, the Post reported.

Both probes produced reports sharply critical of D.C. police leadership but offered few specifics about how crime data may have been manipulated or how it might have affected the public’s understanding of crime.

Instead, the findings focused largely on former Chief Pamela A. Smith’s leadership style, alleging she fostered a culture of fear that encouraged officials to misclassify crimes to avoid her displeasure. 

The reports did not cite examples of Smith directing staff to downplay offenses. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the conduct identified in the investigation did not warrant criminal charges.

Smith has strongly denied ever directing anyone to manipulate crime statistics, and Bowser has credited her with helping drive a sharp citywide drop in crime during her tenure.

Bowser also asked the city’s inspector general to review concerns about crime statistics, seeking what she viewed as a more impartial examination. That probe began in January.

The backstory:

Smith spoke with FOX 5 and said her decision to step down at the end of 2025 was not influenced by Bowser’s decision not to seek reelection or by the federal crime surge in the District. She called the move deeply personal, shaped by time spent with family over the holidays.

RELATED: DC Police Chief Pamela Smith speaks with FOX 5 about decision to resign

"What really resonated with me was going home for Thanksgiving to visit my family in Pine Bluff, Arkansas," she told FOX 5’s Steven Chenevey in a December 2025 interview shortly after making the announcement. She said the loss of her mother and years of nonstop work led her to miss important family milestones. "Being able to come home for Thanksgiving two years after my mom passed really resonated with me and has allowed me to make a decision that I think is necessary, not just only for me, but also for my family."

Smith said her decision to step down was not influenced by federal involvement and noted she has long maintained positive relationships with federal partners, including during last summer’s federal surge.

Responding to accusations from the Justice Department that D.C. police officials falsified data to make crime rates appear lower, Smith firmly denied any manipulation and said she would hold members accountable if problems were ever found.

Rep. James Comer, who chairs the House committee examining D.C. police crime reporting, recently said the panel’s investigation is ongoing and requested additional documents and communications from the department, the Post said.

In a letter to interim Chief Jeffery Carroll, Comer said the committee had learned recently that the internal affairs probe was completed and included substantiated allegations against individuals in department leadership.

Under D.C. police policy, supervisors are not allowed to change crime classifications in other officers’ reports. Keith, the attorney representing a captain facing discipline, said that restriction means some high‑level officials may have violated policy while trying to correct inaccurate classifications, even if they acted in good faith. Keith said her client is not trying to manipulate anything and was simply attempting to correct reports.

But she also said she believes some officials may have intentionally altered crime statistics to benefit themselves, either to improve their chances for promotion or stay in favor with department leadership.

For each manager under review, she said, investigators will have to determine whether any actions were malicious, intentional, and aimed at misleading the public.

Read more at the Washington Post online.

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