Multiple high-ranking D.C. police leaders have been informed the department intends to fire them based on findings from an internal investigation into crime data manipulation, according to three police officials familiar with the matter.
The changes could constitute a sweeping restructuring of department leadership – one that was already underway Monday evening, when interim police chief Jeffery Carroll abolished the Office of Patrol Operations, effective immediately.
The office – established by former police chief Pamela Smith in Oct. 2024 to oversee all patrol operations – was run by executive assistant police chief Andre Wright. Widely considered second-in-command under Carroll, Wright’s name appeared multiple times in a draft Justice Department report on alleged crime statistic manipulation at the department. He had been placed on administrative leave earlier this year after an investigation surfaced inappropriate text messages on his work phone, according to two law enforcement officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
A D.C. police official said no one other than Wright would lose their job due to the abolishment of the office, and all functions are being moved to other bureaus.
But the shakeup doesn’t end with Wright. According to internal D.C. police communications I reviewed, officers received a message signed by Carroll just after 7 p.m. Monday advising them of five transfers and seven promotions. Among them, Christopher Dorsey will replace Tatjana Savoy, who is facing termination, as Second District Commander. And Nikki Lavenhouse will replace LaShay Makal, who is facing termination, as assistant chief of patrol services south.
It’s not clear yet whether all of the firings are tied to allegations of cooking the books to make crime rates appear lower. Some officials – including assistant chiefs and commanders – were served termination papers, according to the officials. Others were informed of disciplinary measures. Those accused of misconduct will go through the department’s “trial board” disciplinary process, where they can appeal the decision.
The pending terminations come after months of heightened scrutiny from President Donald Trump, including probes into the police force from the Justice Department and the House Oversight Committee. The police union has publicly applauded the intervention and some officers voluntarily cooperated, seizing the opportunity to address long-standing concerns with leadership.
A D.C. police spokesperson declined to comment on Monday, saying he cannot discuss personnel matters or internal investigations.
At least some of the officials I spoke to told me it’s about time. A D.C. police officer described the sentiment of the department in one word: “finally.”
Another member of the department’s top brass said both the police union and rank-and-file officers are “very pleased someone is finally addressing this in a meaningful way.” He added that it has renewed many in the department’s faith in Carroll, who took the helm of the department after Smith resigned in December.
“It goes to show we’re not standing for any shenanigans,” the official said. “We have to protect the agency. We have to protect the city.”
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Last summer, Trump took over the D.C. police force and cited out of control crime as justification. Critics pointed to the city’s plummeting crime rates, but Trump seized on long-circulated rumors that some police department managers regularly downgraded crime classifications to avoid being reprimanded by top brass.
As evidence, Trump pointed to Commander Michael Pulliam, who was placed on paid leave while under investigation for allegedly manipulating crime statistics in D.C. police’s Third District. He has denied wrongdoing.
The Justice Department and the House Oversight Committee conducted investigations, both of which railed against the leadership style of Smith and many of her inner circle.
However, neither of the investigations identified a time when Smith or another leader explicitly ordered the misclassification of crime. Instead, the Justice Department report cited a “culture of fear” that indirectly led officials to downplay crime rates in an attempt to dodge Smith’s wrath.
Smith has vehemently denied allegations that she ordered any manipulation of statistics.
House Oversight Committee Rep. James Comer, a Republican, wrote a letter last week demanding all the records from the police department’s internal investigation.
House Oversight Republicans gloated at the news of the potential firings in a social media post Monday, claiming its letter "is already forcing action inside the MPD."
"Now they must release EVERY document from their internal investigation into manipulated crime data," the post read. "This isn't over. We're not stopping until the full truth is out."
The D.C. Office of the Inspector General also began a review of D.C. police crime data reporting in January. That review has not been released.
