Houston’s police chief, Troy Finner, retired unexpectedly amidst questions about a department policy that allowed hundreds of thousands of cases to be suspended, including sexual abuse cases. Finner had been on the force for 34 years and was appointed chief in 2021. The retirement announcement came after an internal email surfaced showing Finner referring to an investigation being suspended due to “lack of personnel” in 2018, three years before he claimed to have been aware of the policy.
Finner had held the position of executive assistant chief over patrol operations at the time the email was written. In February, he claimed he didn’t know about the practice until 2021 when he became chief and ordered the Special Victims Division to stop using the “lack of personnel” code to suspend investigations. In April, Finner stated that the department had reviewed around 264,000 investigations suspended since 2016, with over 4,000 involving adult sex crimes. An independent review committee is also looking into the matter.
Following the report by KHOU, Finner issued a statement insisting on his honesty and stating that he was not aware of the “suspended lack of personnel” codes used by the department at the time. He promised to address the media and the public once the investigation was complete. Mayor John Whitmire appointed Larry Satterwhite as acting police chief, who had served as executive assistant chief under Finner. Whitmire confirmed that he had not asked for Finner’s retirement but believed it was necessary due to the effect it was having on operations at the department. Finner did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
The situation has been described as a distraction to the mission of the men and women in the Houston Police Department. Whitmire emphasized that the decision was made in the best interest of the city and its residents. No official announcement about the change in leadership had been made by the police department as of Wednesday afternoon. Finner had been a respected figure within the department and considered a friend by Whitmire, making the retirement a difficult decision. However, the issue raised serious concerns about the handling of suspended cases, particularly those involving sexual abuse, leading to the need for further investigation and accountability.
