DC Police Chief Resigns Amid Crime Data Scandal and Trump Administration Scrutiny

Washington, D.C., Police Chief Pamela Smith abruptly resigned Monday after a turbulent two-and-a-half-year tenure marked by rising crime, collapsing public trust, and a growing federal investigation into the city’s reported manipulation of crime statistics.

Her resignation comes as the Trump administration, now overseeing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), intensifies pressure on city leadership for what it describes as “intentional misreporting” of criminal data to paper over the District’s deepening lawlessness.

“There comes a time when you just know it's time,” Smith said in a carefully-worded exit interview. But insiders suggest that “time” arrived when it became clear federal prosecutors were zeroing in on her department.

The resignation follows weeks of escalating scrutiny from President Trump’s administration and the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal probe, launched after more than three dozen MPD officers and detectives lodged internal complaints about the systematic downgrading of serious crimes.

Some key revelations:

• One D.C. precinct allegedly had up to 150 misclassified incidents in its reports, with supervisors later forced to reclassify about half.

• The Seventh District in Southeast D.C., one of the city’s most dangerous areas, was named repeatedly in internal complaints for manipulated reporting practices.

• Despite official claims of a “30-year low” in violent crime, federal investigators are now questioning whether that narrative is built on cooked books.

“I, as the chief of police, never would ever say to anyone to alter stats,” Smith insisted Monday. But her words stand in stark contrast to a flood of internal whistleblower reports and a growing sense among D.C. residents that the system has been rigged to protect political reputations over public safety.

Mayor Muriel Bowser, a longtime ally of the embattled chief, praised Smith for enduring what she called “attacks on our city’s autonomy.” But the truth is, this isn’t about autonomy it’s about accountability. And under Smith, that accountability all but vanished.

In addition to the data scandal, Smith also came under fire for her department’s alleged cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, a charge she denies despite video evidence showing MPD officers in proximity to ICE operations.

“We are not aligned with ICE,” she claimed. “If they show up, they show up. They're federal officers.”

Smith’s resignation caps a broader collapse in confidence across Washington. Residents are increasingly vocal about the disconnect between what officials claim and what they actually see on their streets rampant theft, open-air drug markets, repeat violent offenders released back into communities, and a police force demoralized by politics and bureaucracy.

President Trump’s Justice Department led locally by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is continuing its deep dive into MPD’s reporting practices. Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee is preparing hearings on whether Democrat-run cities like D.C. have engaged in widespread statistical cover-ups to downplay violent crime under Biden-era leadership.

It’s no coincidence that with Trump back in office, the focus has returned to truth and transparency in law enforcement. The resignation of Pamela Smith may be just the beginning as the swamp starts to drain again.

Share this article with someone who’s tired of hearing “crime is down” while watching their neighborhood fall apart.

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