Several high-ranking officials inside Washington’s police force are now facing possible termination after investigators concluded crime data may have been manipulated to paint a safer picture of the nation’s capital.
Two assistant chiefs are among three officials recommended for discipline, according to reports. Assistant Chief LaShay Makal and Second District Commander Tatjana Savoy have both been placed on administrative leave, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed.
The department declined to detail the reasons behind their removal from duty.
At the center of the controversy: a federal investigation that found the MPD misclassified crime reports, making overall statistics appear “artificially lower.”
The findings stem from a sweeping review of nearly 6,000 reports and interviews with more than 50 witnesses.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said at the time that the discrepancies significantly understated crime levels across the city.
Two federal reports—one from the Justice Department and another from the House Oversight Committee—were produced in late 2025, detailing the scope of the issue and raising alarms about data integrity inside the department.
The probe was launched as Donald Trump moved to crack down on crime in Washington, arguing publicly that conditions on the ground were worse than official statistics suggested.
That push escalated into a temporary federal takeover effort of the city’s police force, a dramatic step tied directly to concerns about public safety and transparency.
Leadership upheaval followed.
Pamela Smith stepped down as chief in 2025 as the investigation into crime reporting intensified, signaling the seriousness of the allegations at the highest levels of the department.
Officials have not yet announced final disciplinary actions.
Watch the clip below:
🚨 WOW! MULTIPLE high ranking DC police officials are set to be TERMINATED for manipulating crime data, pretending vioIent crime was dropping DRAMATICALLY prior to President Trump's takeover
These people should lose their taxpayer funded retirements.
Multiple DC police officers… pic.twitter.com/AKgdVqoPYi
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 5, 2026
