A Metropolitan Police cruiser responds to a call in historic Georgetown as two women walk by in the background, in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 16, 2024. (John M. Chase / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short May 16, 2026 at 2:45pm
We were told the National Guard were not needed, and that Washington, D.C., is a perfectly safe place to live and work.
“President Donald Trump is overstepping and tyrannically abusing his executive authority! Just look at the crime statistics!”
Upon further investigation, we can now conclude — Trump was right, the Guard is needed, and the police were lying.
Just The News reported May 5 that several high-ranking officials in the Metropolitan Police Department for D.C. have been fired for falsifying crime data.
The D.C. Police Union commented, “Multiple top officials implicated in the scandal are now facing termination for their roles in the manipulation scheme. It should not have taken threats from Congress to complete this necessary investigation and deliver accountability.”
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer announced the 13 firings on social media platform X the same day.
“13 D.C. Police officials have been terminated for their involvement in the manipulation of crime data,” he said.
“These terminations are a direct result of the Oversight Committee’s work exposing dangerous efforts by DC Police leaders to artificially lower crime rates.”
🚨MAJOR NEWS🚨
13 D.C. Police officials have been terminated for their involvement in the manipulation of crime data.
These terminations are a direct result of the Oversight Committee’s work exposing dangerous efforts by DC Police leaders to artificially lower crime rates. https://t.co/pvn7rzmas0
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) May 5, 2026
This scandal goes back years.
In December, Just The News reported that a whistleblower sounded the alarm in 2020, saying data was being manipulated for promotion purposes and calling it a widespread problem.
For example, during an investigation by the Justice Department, 33 percent of 191 reports of aggravated assault were misclassified as lesser offenses.
Over two-thirds of cases “pending investigation,” including robberies and assaults, were also misclassified. Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith announced her resignation that month, but denied it was due to the investigation.
Trump’s decision to send in the National Guard would have been smoother if these people had been doing their jobs.
We know why that couldn’t happen.
Firstly, it would make the president correct in his decision, and Democrat officials can’t allow that.
Second, it would prove that Democrat-run cities have incompetent and corrupt leadership.
U.S. News has three cities run by Democrats — Memphis, Oakland, and St. Louis — as the most dangerous in the country. Baltimore and Detroit rank fourth and fifth respectively. They’re also run by Democrats.
These officials would rather be known for running breeding grounds for criminals than work with the president.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Sam Short is an Assistant Professor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.
