Washington, DC (EFE).- The US Department of Justice under United States President Donald Trump is investigating the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC, for allegedly falsifying crime statistics, according to media reports.
The probe aims to identify who in the force may have manipulated crime figures, as federal authorities expand control over local policing.
The investigation follows Trump’s recent declaration of a National Security Emergency and federal takeover of Washington’s police force.
The move placed more than 800 National Guard officers on city streets, with the White House arguing that the capital was facing a “crime crisis out of control.”
Despite that claim, police data show a decline in violent crime.
Washington recorded 99 homicides through August 2025, a 12% drop compared with 112 murders during the same period in 2024.
According to city officials, those figures represent the lowest levels of violent crime in three decades.
Clash between Trump and Bowser
Trump’s intervention deepens a long-standing power struggle with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.
President Trump had earlier attempted to place the Metropolitan Police under the authority of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), but the Justice Department was forced to backtrack after the District of Columbia Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, challenged the legality of the decision.
“Federal overreach into local policing sets a dangerous precedent,” Schwalb said in a statement last week.
Bowser has also criticized the intervention, calling it a political maneuver rather than a genuine response to crime.
Hundreds arrested under federal control
Since the federal takeover began, authorities have reported 465 arrests and the seizure of 68 firearms.
Charges filed include homicide, narcotics, and other minor offenses, according to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who shared the figures on X.
“52 arrests were made last night, including an MS-13 gang member, and 9 firearms were taken off the streets. Since our mission began, there have been a total of 465 arrests, 68 guns seized, and charges for homicide, narcotics, and firearm offenses,” she posted.
Additional reinforcements are expected by the end of the week.
Republican governors from West Virginia, Ohio, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Louisiana announced they will send National Guard soldiers to Washington to support the federal operation.
The Justice Department has not confirmed the duration of the investigation into the Metropolitan Police. EFE
dte/seo/mcd