Overview
- The D.C. Office of Inspector General concluded Tuesday, July 28, 2026, that the Metropolitan Police Department’s crime-reporting internal controls suffered a prolonged, systemic breakdown during its 2015–2025 review period.
- The audit identified specific flaws including the 2013 shutdown of an independent report-review unit, outdated written policies, poor access and change logging in records systems, and a culture that discouraged anonymous reporting.
- The inspector general did not find evidence of fraud or deliberate manipulation in the report’s findings but said weak controls left data vulnerable to misclassification and errors.
- Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll accepted the report’s core findings and the department has started reforms such as mandatory crime-classification training, creation of a Data Quality and Compliance Branch, steps to reestablish independent review, and ongoing discipline for 13 officers flagged by internal affairs.
- The breakdown matters because unreliable crime data can skew operational choices, resource allocation, and public trust, and the next key developments to watch are the pace of the unit rebuild and the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings.