Washington, D.C

DC Council to review 911 call center failures in Fall oversight hearings

Published

1 year ago

September 9, 2024

DC Council to review 911 call center failures in Fall oversight hearings

DC Council plans hearings, legislation to address 911 call center failures

The D.C. Council will take a closer look at the District’s 911 call center this fall, FOX 5 has learned. David Kaplan speaks with D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto about the plan.

WASHINGTON – The D.C. Council will take a closer look at the District’s 911 call center this fall, FOX 5 has learned.

The move follows several high-profile incidents in recent years involving delayed responses, incorrect addresses, and misclassification of urgent calls.

Brooke Pinto is the Council’s Chair for Public Safety. She announced Monday that she’d have oversight hearings in the fall, and introduce legislation aimed at creating more transparency for the Office of Unified Communications, or OUC.

The hearings will center on “operational failures,” transparency, performance, technology, and coordination within the D.C. Government.

There will also be unannounced visits to the call center.

“I think one of the most important things to keep in mind is how important oversight is to this. Solutions aren’t always built into a new law or a new idea. It also requires daily follow-up and oversight and making sure the agency is holding up their end of the bargain and following the law as implemented and intended,” Pinto said.

As for the proposed legislation, Pinto wants required releases of after-action reports when there’s reason to believe an error leads to serious injury or death.

It will also call for the release of relevant records from dispatch, along with transcripts and even 911 calls.

Over the last few years, FOX 5 has profiled stories of families who feel a better emergency response might have saved their loved ones.

David Griffin had a mental health crisis and jumped into the Washington Channel in March 2022 and drowned.

Multiple 911 calls were made before he jumped, but the call was characterized as an overdose instead of a Priority 1 emergency, according to a lawsuit filed by the family against the District.

Aujah Griffin is his daughter who’s been advocating for changes and improvements to OUC since her father died but has been frustrated by the lack of progress.

She said she hopes this time is different.

“These types of things, when you see other people advocate, especially for the same things that you’re advocating for, it makes a world of difference. But, um, I’ll believe it when I see it, that’s sort of where I am at this point. I haven’t seen anything that sticks. I don’t want to get my hopes up too high,” Griffin said.

Regarding Griffin’s death, an OUC spokesperson told WTOP, which prompted a review, and there was room to improve the response.

The lawsuit is still pending.

Concerns raised after DC 911 call center experiences 6th outage this year

D.C.’s 911 call center is once again under fire after their system went down Friday evening. This comes after a number of calls for change from residents and city leaders following delayed response times that have led to the death of animals and people.

For its part, in response to another death, OUC said last month they’re continuing to work on improving technology, bringing in more staffing, and improving the agency which they said is staffed with good, hardworking people.

In a statement to FOX 5 Monday, OUC said it’s committed to transparency and improving emergency communications in the District.

“OUC is committed to transparency about how we critically evaluate performance to understand root causes, integrate best practices, and quickly implement changes in order to continuously improve 911 service for the District of Columbia,” the statement reads.

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Washington, D.C

D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

Published

15 minutes ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

TNND — A new report from the House Oversight Committee alleges former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to manipulate crime data. The committee released the report on Sunday, less than a week after Smith announced she was stepping down.

You’re lulling people into this false sense of security. They might go places they wouldn’t ordinarily go. They might do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association.

Included in the report were transcribed interviews with the commanders of all seven D.C. patrol districts and the former commander currently on suspended leave. One was asked, “Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?” Their response, “Yes, I mean extremethere’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration.”

Every single person who lives, works, or visits the District of Columbia deserves a safe city, yet it’s now clear the American people were deliberately kept in the dark about the true crime rates in our nation’s capital,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement.

“They are going to have to regain the public trust. Again, this is a huge integrity issue,” Brantner Smith said.

Among the reports findings, Smith’s alleged pressured campaign against staff led to inaccurate crime data. Smith punished or removed officers for reporting accurate crime numbers. Smith fostered a toxic culture and President Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in D.C. is working.

While Smith has not yet publicly responded to the report, she’s previously denied allegations of manipulating crime data, saying the investigation did not play a factor into her decision to step down at the end of the year.

My decision was not factored into anything with respect to, other than the fact that it’s time. I’ve had 28 years in law enforcement. I’ve had some time to think with my family,” Smith said earlier this month.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also released a statement Monday, writing in part that “the interim report betrays its bias from the outset, admitting that it was rushed to release.”

According to crime stats from the Metropolitan Police Department, since the federal law enforcement surge started in August, total violent crime is down 26%. Homicides are down 12% and carjackings 37%.

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Washington, D.C

National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

Published

12 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

The first candle lit on the National Menorah near the White House in Washington, D.C., marked the first night of Hanukkah — and solemnly honored victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.

The National Menorah Lighting was held Sunday night, hours after gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, and over three dozen others were being treated at hospitals.

Authorities in Australia said it was a terrorist attack targeting Jewish people.

Organizers behind the National Menorah Lighting said the news from Australia, along with the bitter cold, forced them to consider whether or not to hold the annual event.

After consulting with local law enforcement, National Menorah Lighting organizers decided to hold the event and honor the victims.

Several D.C.-area police departments issued statements confirming there are no known threats to local communities, but are monitoring just in case.

Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich condemned the attack and said community safety is a priority.

“Acts of antisemitism, especially those meant to intimidate families and communities during moments of gathering and celebration, must be called out clearly and condemned without hesitation,” Elrich said. “I have heard directly from members of Montgomery County’s Jewish community who are shaken and concerned, and I want them to know that their safety is a priority.”

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Washington, D.C

READ: Report accuses DC Police Chief Pamela Smith of ‘fear, intimidation, threats’

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

READ: Report accuses DC Police Chief Pamela Smith of ‘fear, intimidation, threats’

WASHINGTON (7News) — Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith is facing yet another scathing report accusing her of manipulating crime data in the city.

The 22-page document from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform comes less than a week after a separate draft report from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and days after Chief Smith turned in her resignation.

The main difference between the Congressional report and the DOJ report is that this new one, released on December 14, contains transcribed interviews directly with commanders from all seven MPD patrol districts.

RELATED | DC Police settles with former employee over claims that crime numbers were manipulated

The testimony reveals how Chief Smith chastised and, in some cases, publicly humiliated staff in crime briefings.

“The Committee’s investigation heard consistent testimony about frustration and exhaustion among MPD commanders and the manifestation of a culture of fear, intimidation, threats, and retaliation by Chief Smith. Often, these manifestations were triggered whenever the Chief was presented with what she considers ‘bad news,’ particularly when that news pertained to any rise in public crime statistics. Chief Smith, according to testimonies, regularly took action against her subordinates who failed to aid in the preservation of her public image,” the report states on page two.

RELATED | Trump announces probe into DC police for inflating crime stats amid safety claims

The committee launched the investigation in August when whistleblowers came forward with concerns about data manipulation.

One line of questioning in the report states:

Question: Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?

Answer: Yes, I mean extreme… there’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration or regime, and you know, that has manifested publicly.

7News reached out to Mayor Bowser’s Office for a comment in response to the report. A spokesperson provided the following statement:

The men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department run towards danger every day to reduce homicides, carjackings, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and more. The precipitous decline in crime in our city is attributable to their hard work and dedication and Chief Smith’s leadership.

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I thank Chief Smith for her commitment to the safety of D.C. residents and for holding the Metropolitan Police Department to an exacting standard, and I expect no less from our next Chief of Police.

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