HOUSTON – Since learning about the Houston Police Department suspending and mishandling thousands of sexual assault cases, KPRC 2 Investigates has closely followed the story to provide you with the latest updates.
Recommended Videos
On Feb. 16, HPD Police Chief Troy Finner announced that he was appointing a team of investigators to look into thousands of adult sexual assault cases that were suspended “due to a lack of personnel.”
HPD Chief @TroyFinner's Statement on Internal Review of Adult Sex Crime Investigations: pic.twitter.com/AjC4aU1HLY
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) February 17, 2024
Prior to Finner’s announcement, KPRC 2 Investigates had been tracking HPD’s response to sexual assaults.
In 2019, KPRC 2 Investigative Reporter Robert Arnold reviewed hundreds of cases and found fewer than half led to criminal charges being filed.
However, these issues go back even further, to 2016.
Timeline of events:
2015
A Texas Statewide Prevalence Study on Sexual Assault revealed that approximately 6.3 million women and men in Texas, or 1/3 of adult Texans, experienced some form of sexual assault in their lifetime.
A team of 30 HPD employees reviewed the department’s case management system and case clearance rates. They found the codes used for cases didn’t sync up with how cases were processed. Different divisions kept their databases, and the department needed a centralized system. They devised a list of codes to test and possibly implement, including SL - Suspended Lack of Manpower.
2016
Martha Montalvo was appointed Acting Chief of police when Chief McLelland retired. Barely two weeks into her interim role, Montalvo signed off on new codes approved by Assistant Chief Donald McKinney, who had taken over the project to help overhaul the department’s Records Management System. One of the new codes was SL - Suspended Lack of Manpower.
In training classes, the SL code was referred to and remained, Suspended - Lack of Personnel.
“Suspended - Lack of Personnel” coding could be used for “all primary and secondary cases that have workable leads but cannot be assigned due to manpower limitations. These cases could be assigned for investigation or non-investigative follow-up at a later time,” according to internal documents within the mayor’s Independent Review Committee’s interim report.
That same memo includes an explanation from Melissa Cummins in the Office of Planning & Data Governance on who came up with the coding and the intent behind it:
“In 2016, I worked on an initiative with Chief Oettmeier in which we attempted to standardize how we collected data on case assignments and clearances. We created the ‘Suspended Lack of Personnel’ code to capture the number of cases with workable leads we were unable to assign due to workforce shortages. With the use of that data, we intended to justify additional investigators and provide estimates on the number of cleared offenses required to improve operational clearance rates.”
2019
KPRC 2 Investigator Robert Arnold revealed that in over a 3 1/2-year period, Houston police received more than 4,000 reports of sexual assaults, and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office reported more than 6,000 sexual assault cases received during three years.
During this period, fewer than half (40 percent) of all sexual assault cases saw charges filed. The Sheriff’s Office reported 10 percent of its cases led to charges.
2022
According to the Harris County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) annual report, from 2022 to Aug. 2023, HPD Special Victim’s Division took 1,519 reports of sexual assault and investigated 1,328 (87%) of them.
Feb. 16
HPD Chief Troy Finner releases a statement on a significant number of sexual assault cases being suspended due to a “lack of personnel.”
Feb. 23
Finner held a news conference Thursday addressing the suspended sexual assault cases, saying that approximately 4,017 sexual assault cases had not been investigated.
Investigative Reporter Mario Diaz also revealed that Finner had known about the cases not being investigated since 2021, and more departments are involved.
Feb. 26
Houston Mayor John Whitmire spoke out for the first time, saying he expects full transparency from Chief Finner about the cases being suspended. He released the following statement:
“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.”
KPRC 2 Investigates also learned that sexual assaults were not the only criminal cases being suspended in Houston.
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.
The five criminal divisions included special victims, gangs, family violence, auto thefts and vehicular crimes.
Feb. 27
Over the past eight years, approximately 10% of the department’s cases, totaling around 264,000, were suspended across multiple divisions. The situation was deemed “unacceptable,” and investigators were assigned to review the halted cases.
KPRC 2 Investigates 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.
Feb. 29
Houston City Council members expressed their concerns and disappointment regarding the Houston Police Department’s suspension of over 260,000 cases, including 4,000 sexual assault cases, due to a lack of manpower.
Council members emphasized the importance of investigating and addressing the issue, highlighting the impact on victims who already face barriers in reporting sexual assault.
They called for accountability, leadership from the mayor and Chief Finner, and prioritization of serious crimes.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire expresses his faith in Houston Police Chief Troy Finner amidst revelations of dismissed sex assault investigations and a lack of manpower.
Mayor Whitmire acknowledged his concerns about Finner’s handling of serious investigations by HPD and promised a thorough investigation. He also emphasized the need for transparency and vowed not to manipulate crime statistics like the previous administration.
March 1
Two assistant chiefs are demoted amidst the ongoing investigation scandal into 264,000 cases, including 4,000 sexual assault cases, being suspended due to a lack of manpower.
March 5
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner sent a memo to officers regarding removing the “Suspended—Lack of Personnel” code from the department’s records system. The code, previously used to indicate cases that were suspended due to manpower shortages, will no longer be visible in the system.
Finner also instructed commanders to review the status codes of investigations weekly to ensure the code is not being used.
This action comes in response to the demotion of two assistant chiefs following the revelation that approximately 264,000 cases, including over 4,000 incidents of sexual assault, had been suspended due to manpower shortages. Finner’s decision to address this issue and remove the code from the system demonstrates a commitment to addressing the backlog of cases and improving the department’s response to crime.
March 7
Houston Mayor John Whitmire ordered an independent review of the Houston Police Department’s mishandling of more than 200,000 cases suspended due to a lack of personnel. Multiple divisions within the Houston Police Department, including special victims and gangs, are under investigation.
Mayor John Whitmire said he is determined to ensure transparency and accountability, leading to the decision to hire a third party for the review. Chief Finner expressed support for the independent review and promised to provide updates on the internal review process.
March 12
Houston Mayor John Whitmire vows to investigate the individual responsible for creating the “SL” code used by the Houston Police Department (HPD) to deactivate cases. During a press conference, Whitmire expressed his disbelief that the code had been in use since 2015 without anyone raising concerns. The mayor referred to the person as “dumb” and emphasized the need for accountability.
The use of the code has since been halted and corrected by the HPD. This development follows the revelation that around 264,000 cases, including over 4,000 sexual assault investigations, were suspended due to manpower shortages at the HPD, causing public outcry and criticism.
March 13
The independent committee leading the investigation into the Houston Police Department’s suspended cases scandal was announced by Mayor John Whitmire.
This committee is expected to bring transparency and accountability to the review process, ensuring that the investigation is conducted with utmost diligence and impartiality, according to Whitmire.
March 20
In a letter to City Council members, Mayor Whitmire outlined the committee members, including Ellen Cohen, Captain Jeff Owles, Christina Nowak, Arturo Michel, and Rev. Leon Preston. He also outlined exactly what the panel will be tasked with during their investigation.
March 21
The Houston Police Officers Union sent a letter to Mayor John Whitmire, urging the recusal of Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner from the investigation into the department’s suspended cases scandal.
The request comes in light of concerns over Chief Finner’s involvement in disciplinary actions related to the scandal. The union raises questions about the fairness of allowing the chief, who is being questioned in the investigation, to determine the final discipline in these cases.
May 23
KPRC 2 Investigates learned from HPD’s Union that five commanders and one lieutenant were served by internal affairs in the ongoing internal affairs division investigation as to how 4,000 sex assault investigations were suspended without being fully investigated.
We also learned that HPD Chief Troy Finner promoted two commanders to assistant chiefs. The two promoted officers are Alvaro Guzman and Adrian Rodriguez.
April 1
Fourteen Houston police commanders were contacted for written statements by the Internal Affairs Department, along with one Lieutenant. These statements are part of the IAD probe into the department’s scandal involving adult sex crime investigations being suspended for at least the last eight years.
April 2
A high-ranking civilian employee working out of Houston Police Chief Troy Finner’s office was named in the Internal Affairs investigation.
Jim Jones is the highest-ranked person involved in the investigation.
Jones retired a week before being named in the investigation. It’s not clear if Jones was a target or a witness in the investigation, but called him “brilliant” and said Jones helps him oversee policy.
April 10
After being named in the Internal Affairs Investigation, we learned that Jim Jones was still making policy for the department.
In 2021, Jones “recommended not issuing” a department memo stopping the use of the suspension code “SL” due to the lack of manpower.
Two days after that discussion, Jones, an assistant chief policy officer, was the originating person issuing a memo on how the department should now code reports that go to the National Incident-Based Reporting System known as NIBRS.
Jones put in his notice to the department and is expected to leave his post sometime this month. This development comes at a critical juncture as Chief Finner has explicitly stated that Jones is both a target and a potential witness in the investigation.
April 30
HPD chief Troy Finner said the controversial Internal Affairs investigation into Houston’s suspended sex assault cases scandal is done.
Finner says the next step is to have the investigative file reviewed by members of the Independent Police Oversight Board (IPOB) and the Administration Disciplinary Committee (ADC).
May 5
KPRC 2 Investigates has learned questions of integrity are being raised about a member of Houston Police Chief Troy Finner’s inner circle, extending what Finner said was a “completed” Internal Affairs Investigation into the department’s suspended sex assault cases scandal.
When the department launched its investigation, the request came from Executive Assistant Chief (EAC) Chandra Hatcher, of Finner’s inner circle. In making the case for an investigation, Hatcher used information from a meeting she said she attended in 2021. However, from documents KPRC 2 has obtained and discussed with multiple sources, it appears Hatcher was never at that meeting.
May 7
An internal document KPRC 2 Investigates obtained shows Chief Finner was looped in about the code being used by HPD in cases as far back as 2018.
“It’s something that I didn’t know about and I definitely didn’t remember that,” Finner told KPRC 2 Investigates Mario Diaz when he showed the chief the email at a luncheon today.
In the email dated July 20, 2018, Finner states “this is unacceptable, look into it and follow up with me.”
That was his response to the email sent by George Mixon, the former Chief of Staff to Art Acevedo, to the executive staff, which included Acevado, Finner, and Commander Kevin Deese.
In the email, Mixon states there was a road rage incident on April 8th, where officers had a “Full Plate and Able to ID Suspect,” but on May 24th, the “SL” code was attached to the case by a senior officer. Mixon added that a witness could identify the suspect.
Within 3.5 hours, Finner wanted Deese to look into the case and “follow up” with him instead of calling for an investigation.
May 8
An internal document obtained by KPRC 2 Investigates showed Chief Troy Finner was looped in about the ‘SL’ code being used by HPD in cases as far back as 2018. On May 8, after KPRC 2 was made aware of those documents, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced that he had accepted Finner’s request for retirement amid the controversy surrounding the suspended cases.
HPD Chief Troy Finner statement on 2018 email: pic.twitter.com/gzr5xTLIad
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 7, 2024
We also learned that Houston Police Chief Troy Finner resigned amid the scandal involving the suspension of thousands of criminal investigations due to a lack of personnel. Finner’s resignation was submitted to Mayor John Whitmire, who appointed Assistant Police Chief Larry Satterwhite as acting chief.
July 1
An internal affairs investigation into the Houston Police Department’s suspended cases, initially expected to conclude by July 1, has faced delays, with Mayor John Whitmire now stating it will be completed in a few more days.
June 31
The Houston Police Department has released a report titled “Use of the SL Code, A Report of Findings” explaining why over 260,000 incident reports were suspended due to a lack of personnel. Acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite admitted the code practice was a bad policy and expressed regret for the oversight. Former police chief Troy Finner, who resigned in May, initially announced the suspensions, which led to an independent review and subsequent reopening of cases. The investigation revealed failures in leadership and integrity issues within the department, resulting in the removal of executive assistant chief Chandra Hatcher.
August 21
Mayor John Whitmire’s Independent Review Committee released a report on the Houston Police Department’s suspension of nearly 269,000 cases since 2016, highlighting severe understaffing, particularly in the Special Victims and Major Assault/Family Violence Divisions. The report emphasized the inconsistent use of the “SL Code” due to lack of standardized procedures, inadequate training for newly promoted assistant chiefs, and the need for a more efficient reporting management system. Recommendations include creating comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures, enhancing RMS capabilities, increasing civilian staff, and providing consistent leadership training. An ongoing Internal Affairs investigation continues to probe actions taken after a directive by former Chief Troy Finner.
