HOUSTON – KPRC 2 Investigates held HPD Chief Troy Finner’s feet to the fire about his department suspending sexual assault and criminal investigations due to a lack of manpower.
“It’s something that we need to fix. We’re going to fix it, and just as we are looking at this division, we are going to look at every division in our agency. It’s very important,” Finner said.
On Monday, HPD announced approximately 264,000 cases, approximately 10% of all of the department’s cases over the last eight years, had been suspended across multiple HPD divisions.
On Feb. 16, Finner called the situation “unacceptable,” and said he was permanently assigning investigators to review the suspended cases.
Finner said despite staffing challenges, this should have never happened and said it will not continue.
By early Monday morning, KPRC 2 Investigates already had identified five criminal divisions that had seen the code, “SL,” which was the department’s way of suspending investigations due to a lack of manpower. The divisions included special victims, gangs, family violence, auto thefts and vehicular crimes.
“This should have been caught somewhere in the higher level because nothing can be signed off on until the executive command staff takes a look at it,” said HPOU President Doug Griffith, who admitted he was “stunned” over what we discovered.
Mayor John Whitmire responds
Mayor John Whitmire was slated to speak with KPRC 2 Investigates, however, he did not make himself available. The mayor expressed regrets about being unable to do an interview, but provided the following statement from his team:
“Mayor Whitmire looks forward to speaking with you in the future. He discussed the case yesterday with Chief Finner, and the investigation into the sexual assaults is moving forward at a rapid pace. The chief will provide the mayor with timely updates and Mayor Whitmire has expressed that he expects full accountability within the Houston Police Department. Before discussing the case further with the media, the mayor will review new information and all developments.”
The Mayor’s office responded after the Whitmire Administration gave a proclamation to HPD for its decades of service for the “March on Crime” program.
KPRC 2 Investigates pointed out to HPD’s union that 40 years after the program started, HPD wasn’t marching on crime, they simply weren’t investigating it after Finner’s revelations last Thursday.
“You got a point. You got a point,” Griffith said.
After HPD announced approximately 264,000 cases not being investigated, enough to fill every seat at NRG Stadium over 3.5 times, Mayor Whitmire put out a statement saying, “I am very concerned. It is unacceptable and I have instructed Chief Finner to be transparent and continue his review as a top priority. Public safety continues to be my highest priority.”
The mayor’s former colleague at the Capitol in Austin, State Sen. Joan Huffman, sent KPRC 2 Investigates a statement where she made it clear not only was she “shocked” by the developments within HPD over the last 10 days, but that she “will be working to determine if legislation is necessary to further protect the rights of victims to have their cases fully investigated.”
Sex abuse survivors attorney’s take on revelations
Sexual assault victims have been silenced in the past, according to sex abuse survivor attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel.
Tuegel, who is based in Dallas but has defended victims in Houston in the past, has been monitoring the recent headlines made by HPD.
“I have not seen a major city suspend cases with a code like this over and over for thousands of cases,” Tuegel said.
Tuegel is a nationally recognized attorney for sex abuse survivors and was a key attorney in the Larry Nasser scandal involving Michigan State and USA Gymnastics. The bottom line for her as to how sexual assault victims have been treated by HPD is, “It’s appalling that this many people didn’t get to have their day in court and frankly that this many citizens weren’t protected when somebody had reported it.”
As for the future of the department and its leadership, Simpson Tuegel said change is to be expected.
“After these situations, I have seen them clean house and there has been a complete change in leadership,” she said.
The department said it will continue to review sexual assault incident reports and contact potential victims.
HPD also said it will move additional personnel to other investigative divisions to address the incident reports involving crimes against persons.
A news conference will be held later this week to provide additional details.