The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Chief Pamela Smith have publicly addressed the findings of a recent audit by the DC Auditor concerning the Karon Hylton-Brown case. The audit shed light on Chief Smith diverging from the outcomes proposed by the Internal Affairs investigation, as well as the termination recommendation from MPD's Disciplinary Review Division (DRD). In a detailed statement, MPD clarifies that these recommendations came before a significant turn of events—both the Internal Affairs report and the DRD's suggestion were based on information prior to the involved members receiving pardons and the dismissal of their criminal cases with prejudice, according to a release on MPD's website.
The department emphasized that the legal developments notably impacted their subsequent administrative review. They had to effectively ignore prior criminal convictions due to the pardons, which came while the cases were still under appeal. This significant shift necessitated a thorough re-evaluation which concluded there was no criminal conduct on part of the officers, both during and after the incident involving Hylton-Brown. This turn of events allowed MPD to reassess the case, focusing solely on policy violations, and leading to discipline grounded in their established framework. "Once those cases were dismissed, MPD conducted a comprehensive administrative review," the MPD statement explained.
Additionally, the audit's failure to incorporate DC Circuit Court precedents on pardons did not go unnoticed by MPD. Such legal mandates significantly influenced the department's response to the disciplinary aspects of the case. The audit's recommendations, many of which are already entrenched in MPD's practices, were reviewed with some being implemented and others, like direct engagement by the Chief of Police with Internal Affairs and the disciplinary director, not being adopted due to concerns about undermining the independence of these functions.
Despite the controversy, Chief Smith and the MPD have expressed their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of law enforcement—a commitment that extends to incorporating viable recommendations from the audit into their practices. "MPD will continue to maintain and strengthen these standards," the MPD noted, advocating for the ongoing realization of best practices within the force. Deeper into the response, some of the audit’s suggestions were concluded to potentially have a "chilling effect" on the independence of oversight operations. Chief Smith believes in the importance of maintaining the autonomy of these critical functions within the MPD framework.
MPD’s comprehensive response to the audit, along with their justifications for the decisions made regarding this administrative issue, have been made available for public review on their website.
