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The Justice department is investigating whether the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) manipulated crime data to portray a misleading drop in crime, according to two senior law enforcement officials, reported the NBC News.The investigation is being overseen by the US Attorney’s office for DC, led by Jeanine Pirro.The inquiry follows a report, which revealed that commander Michael Pulliam was placed on paid leave in May over allegations he altered crime data in his district. Pulliam has denied wrongdoing, according to NBC4 The probe is expected to widen, examining whether other police or city officials may have been involved in data manipulation.US President Donald Trump publicly supported the investigation, accusing the city of providing “fake crime numbers” to create a “false illusion of safety.” On Truth Social, he claimed:“DC gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety. This is a very bad and dangerous thing to do, and they are under serious investigation for doing so!”Meanwhile, Mayor Muriel Bowser pointed to MPD data showing a 26–27 percent drop in violent crime year‑over‑year, arguing that a federal takeover of the department was unnecessary.
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