The Washington, D.C., police chief "propagated an ecosystem of fear, retaliation, and toxicity" to downplay crime statistics in the city, according to a bombshell report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The Republican-led panel's interim staff report, based on transcribed interviews with commanders from all seven D.C. patrol districts and one former commander on suspended leave, alleges Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith pressured, and at times directed, subordinates to manipulate how crimes were classified so official public-facing numbers looked better.
The House report also described an internal environment marked by intimidation and retaliation that drove down morale and helped push experienced officers and commanders out the door.
One commander told investigators that routine briefings could feel like "an atonement for our sins," according to the report, with commanders fearing retribution for bringing "bad news."
"Chief Smith's decision to mislead the public by manipulating crime statistics is dangerous and undermines trust in both local leadership and law enforcement," Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said in a Sunday release.
"Her planned resignation at the end of the month should not be seen as a voluntary choice, but as an inevitable consequence that should have occurred much earlier. Chief Smith should resign today."
The House Oversight report argued that accurate crime data is essential for residents, visitors, and policymakers — and that manipulating classifications undermines public confidence in law enforcement and city leadership.
The committee said its investigation remains ongoing, including document review, and it recommends that Mayor Muriel Bowser appoint a new chief who will address concerns about data integrity and retaliatory management.
Bowser defended the department and credited officers and Smith’s leadership for declines in major crimes, according to the Post.
The report's findings were first summarized by The Washington Post, which said commanders told investigators that low crime statistics were prized above all else and to be achieved "by any means necessary," including reclassifying serious offenses into lesser categories that aren't publicly reported.
The Post reported the House probe landed days after a separate, leaked Justice Department draft review similarly accused Smith of fostering a "coercive culture of fear" that may have encouraged the manipulation of crime stats.
Smith, appointed chief in 2023, has denied backing any stat manipulation.
Her resignation, announced Monday and effective at the end of the year, comes amid intensifying federal scrutiny and a political clash over who should control public safety in the nation's capital.
News of the House report came less than three weeks after a high-profile ambush-style shooting involving two West Virginia National Guard members deployed in D.C. under a federal law enforcement surge.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom were shot near the Farragut Square Metro Station on Nov. 26.
Beckstrom later died from her injuries, while Wolfe has been recovering after critical wounds.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.