The Justice Department has officially wrapped its investigation into allegations that the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department skewed its crime data to make the city crime rate appear lower. 

A draft report of the investigation, shared with NBC Washington and the Washington Post, concluded that D.C. police crime statistics were “likely unreliable and inaccurate," and that the city's current police chief, Pamela A. Smith, who has announced she will be stepping down as chief at the end of this month, created a “coercive culture of fear.” 

The investigation comes after a whistle-blower sued the police department in 2020, claiming senior officers often manipulated crime statistics in their own districts because improving performance on the metrics was directly linked to promotion potential and suggested the issue was widespread in the department. 

The draft report, expected to be formally released next week, was prepared by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Vandervelden. The report is based on reviews of thousands of police reports and interviews with over 50 witnesses.

“While witnesses cite misclassifications and purposely downgraded classifications of criminal offenses at MPD for years prior, there appears to have been a significant increase in pressure to reduce crime during Pamela A. Smith’s tenure as Chief of Police that some describe as coercive,” the report said.

Investigators reviewed 191 reports of aggravated assault, of which approximately 33% were misclassified, according to NBC Washington. More than two thirds of reports labeled “pending investigation” were also misclassified, including robberies and assaults.

The report comes after Smith announced on Monday that she was resigning her post at the end of the year, but denied that it was related to the Justice Department's investigation. She had only been in the role for two-and-a-half years. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.