Chief Smith: Violent crime down 35% in 2024; MPD cites technology, task forces and partnerships while staffing and transparency remain concerns

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith briefed the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety on March 11, saying 2024 produced a historic decline in violent crime even as the department struggles to refill sworn ranks and answer public demands for accountability and transparency.

Why it matters: The department reported significant year‑over‑year drops in violent crime categories, but hearing witnesses and committee members pressed for answers on staffing, overtime use, the handling of sensitive evidence and public access to body‑worn camera video. Several public witnesses raised the high‑profile issue of two officers who were convicted, later pardoned, and then reinstated to MPD — a reinstatement that committee members said has eroded public trust.

Chief Smith told the committee that 2024 ended with a 35% reduction in violent crime overall compared with 2023, including a 32% drop in homicides, a 39% decline in robberies and nearly a 50% reduction in carjackings. Smith credited a mix of data‑driven operations and partnerships: Operation Thrive (a focused homicide reduction effort in neighborhoods such as Rosedale and Anacostia), a Robbery…