HOUSTON – Troy Finner has been sworn in as Houston’s next Chief of Police.
Finner is a native of Houston and grew up in the Fifth Ward. He attended James Madison High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University and a master’s degree from the University of Houston. He has served with the Houston Police Department since 1990.
“I am confident, he is the right person at the right time to lead the Houston Police Department,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner during Finner’s swearing-in ceremony held Monday at Houston City Hall.
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After taking the oath and having his badge pinned on this lapel by his son, Finner said he is proud to lead the 5,300 officers of HPD.
“I’m not taking this role by myself,” Finner said. “I have a great team -- our executive staff, our command staff, every man and woman of this Police Department.”
Finner takes over the department at a time when violent crimes, specifically homicides, have been skyrocketing. Last week, a KPRC 2 Investigates count showed this year’s homicide rate was 44% higher than last year’s already significant rise.
“We’ve got some tough roads ahead of us, and everybody knows it, but we’re going to bring it together,” Finner said. “Houston can’t function without Harris County. Harris County can’t function without Houston. That’s all I’m going to say about that today. It’s time to go to work. It’s time to get everybody in this fight.”
Both Finner and Turner called on Houstonians to do their part for public safety.
“Men, women -- stand up,” Finner said. “Be good people. Be good witnesses when we need you.”
“Only together, working with him and the 5,300 police officers, can we move this city forward in a very special way,” Turner said. “I don’t expect him to be the only one to make the difference, but I do expect with us working with police, police working with the community, together we can make a difference.”
The new chief has said the department’s top priorities are reducing the number of homicides and violent crimes and building trust in the community. He said those efforts are compounded by the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
Finner takes over after former Chief Art Acevedo left to become Miami’s top cop.
You can watch a replay of Finner’s swearing-in ceremony below.
Acevedo tells Finner to ‘Go get it’
A clearly emotional Acevedo took the oath of office in Miami on Monday morning.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said Acevedo was on the streets of the South Florida city over the weekend to get a feel for the pulse of the city.
Acevedo promised to respect the diversity of the South Florida city and be tough on bad policing.
The former Houston chief also said he was looking forward to the swearing-in of his successor and told Finner to, “Go get it.”
You can watch a replay of Acevedo’s swearing-in ceremony below.