FBI Rejects Report Kash Patel Policies 'Inflate' Arrest Numbers

Source: Newsweek

Published May 13, 2026 at 04:12 PM EDT updated May 13, 2026 at 05:33 PM EDT


The FBI is pushing back forcefully against a report alleging that Director Kash Patel has implemented policies designed to artificially boost arrest statistics, calling the claims false and an attempt to undermine the bureau’s record on crime reduction.

Critics have scrutinized Patel since he was appointed by President Donald Trump to take over the bureau, raising questions about whether he has politicized internal operations, though supporters have praised his efforts to tackle crime. Crime rose sharply across the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic but has fallen in the years since, according to official data. The new report from MS Now, citing unnamed FBI insiders, claimed that Patel has emphasized arrest totals in ways that distort the bureau’s performance metrics.

According to the outlet’s reporting, some internal critics argue that the focus on numbers has created pressure to prioritize easily countable enforcement actions over more complex investigations.

New Report Alleges FBI Inflated Crime Statistics

The MS Now report alleged that Patel’s policies overstate the FBI’s progress in tackling crime. For instance, it claimed that the FBI began counting immigration arrests made while officers accompanied immigration officers in cities like Minneapolis and Memphis that were not previously reported as an FBI arrest. It also reported that the FBI allegedly added names of fugitives to the FBI’s Most Wanted List just days or hours before their arrest.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/fbi-rejects-report-kash-patel-policies-inflate-arrest-numbers-11948251