13 D.C. Police Officers Placed on Leave in Crime Statistics Probe

The Metropolitan Police Department has placed 13 officers on leave amid an investigation into alleged manipulation of crime statistics, according to MPD Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll. Some of the officers are already undergoing termination proceedings.

"Our Internal Affairs Bureau has completed an investigation into crime reporting," Carroll said. The MPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Senior officials, including an assistant chief and a district commander, are among those being scrutinized.

Trump warned nearly a year ago that the District of Columbia may have been reporting "fake crime numbers" when he deployed the National Guard to the nation's capital. " He described Washington as the least safe city in the U.S. and perhaps the world until the Guard arrived.

The White House responded to the developments by stating that President Trump was correct that crime in Washington, D.C., was a serious problem before action was taken to establish a task force. Crime rates have since dropped, according to the White House.

The Metropolitan Police Department's union welcomed the news of the suspensions. The union leader said members had warned that a culture of coercion, fear and corruption left thousands of cases uninvestigated. "Forensic teams were not dispatched, evidence went uncollected, detectives were never notified, and dangerous criminals walked free," the union statement said.

Democratic lawmakers also raised objections at the time. House Oversight Committee work contributed to exposing the issues that led to the current suspensions, according to a statement from the committee.