Office of Police Complaints Releases Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report

(Washington, DC) - The District of Columbia Office of Police Complaints (OPC) and its governing body, the Police Complaints Board (PCB), today released the Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report, detailing the agency's investigative activity, policy recommendations, and community outreach efforts over the past fiscal year.

In FY25, OPC received a total of 1,065 complaints, marking a 13% increase over the 943 complaints filed in FY24. This represents the highest number of complaints in the agency's history since its inception.

Those complaints contained 1,955 allegations of misconduct, a 26% increase from FY24. Allegations of harassment accounted for 51% of all allegations received, followed by inappropriate language or conduct (22%) and unnecessary or excessive force (15%).

Of the 1,065 complaints filed:

• Black officers accounted for 47%; White officers, 32%; Hispanic/Latino officers, 15%; Asian officers, 4%; and Multi-Racial and Native American officers, less than 1%.
  
• Male officers were the subject of 80% or more of the complaints, while female officers were the subject of 19%.
  
• Officers under the age of 35, who make up 35% of the force, were the subject of 43% of complaints

The report also highlights the continued role of body-worn camera (BWC) footage in OPC investigations. In FY25, 81% of investigations included BWC footage, which continues to improve investigative efficiency and reduce the percentage of cases withdrawn by a complainant. Additionally, 17% of cases with BWC footage revealed at least one form of BWC non-compliance, reflecting a decrease from FY24.

As part of its oversight role, the PCB issued three policy reports with four recommendations in FY25, including reports addressing the implementation of prior recommendations, duties of firearm licensees, and stop-and-frisk data. To date, the PCB has issued 79 reports and sets of recommendations.

Community outreach remained a priority in FY25. OPC staff participated in events across the District and conducted educational programs such as the Student Interactive Training, which engaged youth on constitutional rights and positive interactions with law enforcement, as well as partnerships designed to increase awareness of OPC's services and role in police oversight.

"Our Annual Report reflects the Board and OPC's commitment to transparency and accountability," said Marke Cross, Executive Director of the Office of Police Complaints. "As the volume of complaints continues to increase, OPC remains committed to fair, timely, and thorough investigations and to identifying patterns that inform meaningful policy recommendations."

To view the full report, visit our website at www.policecomplaints.dc.gov .