Law Enforcement and Oversight

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith is stepping down, praising her for driving down violent crime—including cutting homicides to an eight-year low—launching a Real-Time Crime Center, instituting technology upgrades and temporary youth curfew zones, and noting overall crime fell about 17% in the first 10 weeks of 2024; she did not give a reason, name a successor or outline changes to public-safety strategy. Smith’s resignation comes as a House Oversight Committee interim report alleges she pressured MPD commanders to downgrade offenses and avoid categories on the daily crime report—creating a “culture of fear” with public chastisement and retaliation—and she is expected to remain in her role through year-end despite announcing her Dec. 8 resignation.