WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether police officials in Washington, D.C., have falsified data to make crime rates appear lower than they are, according to two people familiar with the probe who weren't authorized to publicly discuss an open investigation.

The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating whether the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., has been manipulating crime statistics following allegations made by President Donald Trump and the head of the district’s police union.

The Justice Department is investigating whether D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department manipulated crime data to make crime rates appear lower, two senior law enforcement officials tell NBC News.