DC Police Recommend Firing Two Assistant Chiefs Over Alleged Crime Data Manipulation

Several high-ranking Washington, D.C., police officials face termination amid an investigation alleging that law enforcement leaders manipulated crime data to create a false perception of safety.

Two assistant chiefs are among three officials recommended for discipline, FOX 5 DC reported. Assistant Chief LaShay Makal and Second District Commander Tatjana Savoy have been placed on administrative leave, according to a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson.

The MPD declined to explain why the two were removed from duty, according to the news outlet.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the MPD, the Justice Department and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for comment.

A federal investigation found that the MPD misclassified crime reports, making crime statistics across Washington, D.C., appear artificially lower.

The findings came from a review of nearly 6,000 reports and interviews with more than 50 witnesses, showing that D.C.'s crime numbers were significantly understated, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said at the time.

Two federal reports were produced in late 2025 regarding the matter, one by the Justice Department and another by the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee.

The probe began as President Donald Trump initiated a federal crackdown in the nation's capital amid public safety concerns. He argued that crime was worse than city statistics showed as he moved to take temporary control of the force.

Pamela Smith stepped down as MPD chief in 2025, during the investigation into the department's crime statistics.

The House report, titled "How D.C.'s Police Chief Undermined Crime Data Accuracy," alleged Smith prioritized public image over actual crime reduction. She often used humiliation and retaliatory transfers to silence subordinates who reported rising crime rates.

She allegedly used mandatory crime briefings, held twice a week in person and three times a week via video, to publicly dress down and humiliate commanders in front of their colleagues if they reported an increase in crime, the report states. Commanders who reported crime spikes, or who simply questioned her actions, faced immediate professional retaliation.

DC Police Union President Gregg Pemberton praised the MPD's move to serve termination papers to high-ranking command staff.

"Justice is being served," he said in a statement. "The command staff officials responsible for this betrayal must be held accountable, not just for the sake of the thousands of dedicated MPD officers they undermined, but for the residents of the District of Columbia who deserve honest leadership and real public safety. The corruption that endangered lives, eroded trust and allowed shooters, robbers and predators to evade justice cannot be tolerated."

Pemberton added that the union had previously warned officials that "this toxic culture of coercion, fear and corruption left thousands of cases uninvestigated, denied victims justice, gaslit residents, and endangered public safety."