Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Trump's Justice Department is investigating whether DC police officials falsified crime data

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether police officials in Washington, D

Alanna Durkin Richer,Michael Kunzelman
Tuesday 19 August 2025 20:04 BST
Trump-DC Takeover-Black Mayors
Trump-DC Takeover-Black Mayors (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether police officials in Washington, D.C., have falsified crime data, according to a person familiar with the probe who wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss an open investigation.

The investigation comes amid an escalating — and political — showdown between the Trump administration and the city over control of the police department. It wasn’t immediately clear what federal laws could have been violated by the possible manipulation of crime data.

The mayor’s office declined to comment on the matter.

The New York Times was first to report on the investigation. Earlier this year, a Metropolitan Police Department commander suspected of manipulating crime data was placed on paid administrative leave, NBC Washington reported.

___

Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this report.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in