Former Houston Police Chief Troy Finner is speaking out against the department after claiming he was forced into retirement over a case scandal.
Finner told the Houston Chronicle that he thinks the city and police department are trying to bury the “disturbing truth” around a scandal he tried to expose in May 2024. He is accusing the Houston Police Department (HPD) of shelving more than 200,000 cases as criminal severe activity under the code “Suspended – Lack of Personnel,” or “SL” on a routine basis.
While an investigation is still pending, the 34-year HPD veteran tried to combat the issue while still holding the title of chief. He launched an internal probe in February 2024 and released bi-weekly reports on the investigation status for the public. He also committed to releasing a full report of the department’s findings as early as May 2024, not long before he left.
Now that he is gone, Finner is concerned the department won’t uphold the promise as other changes have since been made, including the commander of HPD’s internal affairs department being reassigned to another division. Also, the report has yet to come out. “This failure is gonna come back and bite us. And that’s what I was trying to prevent,” he said. “Agencies all across the country are watching us. This is our opportunity to do something and lead the way.
“So I’m proud to take the blows. But tell the whole story.”
. While Finner allegedly instructed staff to stop using the code in 2021, the caseload worsened. The scandal came to light when Finner received an email, along with then-Police Chief Art Acevedo and commander of the vehicular crimes unit, Kevin Deese, from a staff member about a 2018 hit-and-run case that used the code to label it as a “road rage” case.In bolded and underlined font, the staffer wrote, “Even though there is a full license plate and suspect description to include a statement by the witness that they can ID the suspect.
HPD spokesman Kese Smith said although Finner was told the code was no longer in use, the chief wanted the department to do more. “Chief Finner has said there will be drastic changes to the culture and operations of the department to move past this and stands by his commitment to investigate every violent crime,” Smith said.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire says the leaked email is what prompted Finner’s call to resign, but the former chief said he would have held himself accountable as he admits to being one of the department’s very busy leaders who used the SL code on a regular basis and not grasping the importance of the tossed criminal investigations sooner. “I was the patrol chief, and I read the email and just saw it as someone getting screwed over,” Finner said.
According to KHOU 11, Whitmire claims there are no supported facts to back up Finner’s claims. “I can’t say what motivated him to make such allegations, but I’m personally disappointed he has,” Whitmire said in a statement. “I look forward to releasing a thorough report to the City Council and the public next Wednesday.”
Executive Director of the Houston Police Officers’ Union, Ray Hunt, also said he was “disappointed” in Finner but only because of the timing in which he decided to speak out, as the investigation is still ongoing. “Anyone who believes this is being swept under the rug, I think they’re mistaken,” he said. “HPOU will not allow that to happen, and I’m confident the mayor won’t allow that to happen.”