Washington crime stats system experienced a 'systemic breakdown' of internal controls, report says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's crime statistics collection experienced a “prolonged, systemic breakdown of its internal control system,” according to a report released Tuesday by the city’s inspector general, which reviewed the department's process after accusations… While the report did not indicate any fraud or intentionality in the flaws in the crime stats collection, it recommended a series of steps meant to ensure accuracy in the data gathering going forward.“We found that MPD’s crime reporting controls broke down significantly during the period we examined,” it said.The police force’s crime statistics collection faced increasing scrutiny after President Donald Trump issued a monthlong emergency order last summer that federalized the police force and launched a law enforcement operation in the nation’s capital that his Republican administration said was meant to fight crime.Local officials maintained that crime was already dropping when Trump took the action.

Critics said the problematic statistics erroneously downplayed the true impact of Trump’s initiative.The report made five recommendations to the department, including establishing a permanent, independent crime report review function with personnel who are appropriately trained with the authority to return reports to officers for correction.It highlighted the 2013 dissolution of an independent unit that reviewed the statistics gathering process, which the report said led to crime classification errors and meant that incomplete explanations could pass through the approval process, uncorrected.“Crime data is the informational foundation on which MPD makes operational decisions, the District allocates resources, and the public evaluates the safety of its community,” the report concluded. When that data is unreliable “the consequences extend beyond inaccurate statistics.”The report did not weigh in more broadly on Trump's law enforcement efforts in Washington.The report noted that in recent months the department has taken steps to address concerns in crime classification and reporting.An emailed response from MPD said a number of steps the department is taking, including increased training, as we…