Houston’s mayor has announced the replacement of the city’s police chief, citing the need for new leadership in the wake of ongoing scrutiny over uninvestigated cases, including over 4,000 sexual assault allegations. Mayor John Whitmire emphasized that the decision was made to ensure the police department could move forward effectively.
Former Police Chief Troy Finner had disclosed that hundreds of thousands of incident reports were not investigated due to an internal code citing a lack of available personnel. Despite ordering a halt to the code's use in November 2021, Finner later discovered it was still being employed to dismiss adult sexual assault cases, leading to concerns about the department's operations.
Whitmire expressed confidence in Finner initially but changed course following reports that Finner had been aware of the dismissed incident reports in a 2018 email. This revelation prompted Whitmire to accept Finner's retirement and appoint Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite as acting chief.
Satterwhite acknowledged the department's failure in addressing the issue promptly and pledged to work towards improving the situation. Finner, in a social media post, acknowledged the challenges faced during his tenure but highlighted measures implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Following the disclosure of the internal code usage, an independent panel was commissioned to review the department's practices. The Houston Area Women’s Center, a key advocate for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, refrained from commenting on Finner's retirement but had previously emphasized the impact on survivors when investigations are not resolved.
Police departments nationwide are grappling with staffing challenges, with younger officers resigning and older officers retiring. Despite these challenges, recent reports indicate a slight increase in sworn staffing levels in some agencies compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The mayor expressed hope that the independent panel's review would shed light on the department's operations and provide clarity moving forward.
