Houston Police Chief Troy Finner is on a mission to regain public trust after a shocking revelation that over 264,000 cases, including more than 4,000 sexual assaults, were dropped in the past eight years due to a lack of personnel.
Finner apologized for the use of an internal code that cited a lack of available personnel, which led to incident reports not being investigated. He acknowledged that this code was not victim-centered and should never have been used.
Mayor John Whitmire announced the appointment of an independent panel to review the police handling of the dropped cases, emphasizing the need for answers and accountability.
Finner, who became chief in April 2021, first learned about the code in November 2021 and immediately ordered it to stop. However, he discovered in February 2024 that the code was still being used to dismiss a significant number of adult sexual assault cases.
An internal affairs investigation is underway to determine why the order to stop using the code was not followed and how it came about in the first place. Two assistant chiefs have already been demoted over their roles in the matter.
The department has assigned 32 officers to review the more than 4,000 suspended sexual assault cases, with over 3,000 cases already reviewed and 133 victim interviews scheduled. Efforts are also being made to contact individuals who filed family violence incident reports.
Finner stressed that the staffing crisis facing police departments nationwide is not an excuse for the dismissal of hundreds of thousands of cases. He acknowledged that the Houston Police Department needs an additional 2,000 officers to be sufficiently staffed but remains committed to fixing the situation.
The community is looking for answers and accountability as Finner works to restore public trust in the Houston Police Department.
