Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

D.C. Quietly Settles Whistleblower Suit Over MPD Crime Data Manipulation

Court records disclosed this month confirm MPD supervisors instructed officers to reclassify serious offenses under an untracked category to reduce reported felonies, leading to Djossou’s suit being dismissed by joint request.

Image

Overview

  • The city and former Sgt. Charlotte Djossou reached a settlement in principle that was filed on August 5, 2025, resulting in the dismissal of her retaliation lawsuit.
  • Exhibits in the case include internal emails, depositions and call transcripts showing Fourth District leaders directed officers from April 2018 onward to downgrade felony thefts and violent assaults.
  • Officers were ordered to use the “Taking Property Without Right” category, which is excluded from the public D.C. Crime Report, triggering a roughly 500% surge in TPWOR filings.
  • Djossou first raised concerns with MPD Internal Affairs in 2019, and their investigation corroborated the pattern of reclassification through interviews and investigative reports.
  • Settlement terms remain undisclosed and city officials have provided limited comment despite renewed questions over the accuracy of D.C.’s crime statistics.