HOUSTON – Social and criminal justice advocates are demanding Houston Police Chief Troy Finner step down, at least from the investigation into more than 264,000 cases that were abandoned and never looked into.
“I believe the police chief should step down, at least from this investigation,” said civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen. “So as not to influence his very investigation, which probably should be looking at the chiefs of police, including Chief Finner.”
We the People Organize founder, Hai Bui, said he’s asking the mayor and council to audit more than $60 million in federal money given to HPD over the last decade hire police officers. The organization’s website includes a call for people to join their ##ChiefTroyFinnerShouldResign movement and is planning a Town Hall with and for people with abandoned cases.
“They are so traumatized,” Bui said, describing two sexual assault survivors he’s spoken with. “They are both very fragile at this time.”
Chief Finner launched an Internal Affairs investigation after we all learned more than 264,000 criminal cases were abandoned over the last eight years, all coded SL, which stood for ‘Suspended - Lack of Personnel.” Finner told KPRC 2 Investigates the SL code should have never been used. Finner said he knew this was happening back in 2021 and in November of 2023, mandated it no longer be used, but KPRC 2 investigates found it WAS used 44 more times after his mandate. Two captains have since been demoted and other officers are now being questioned. But KPRC 2′s Mario Diaz raised concerns with Finner early on about the integrity of him overseeing an investigation inside his own department that would surely bring up questions about him.
Cynthia Cole, executive director for local AFSCME members, said she was there to support as an advocate.
“We’re pointing fingers, but it hasn’t come with any solutions,” said Cole. “Now we can hang it on one person or we can hang it on ten, but we better hang it on we have a problem. . . the problem is the victims. The problem is the individuals who will never have justice.”
Jeff Reese with the Greater Houston Coalition for Justice, Hspent nearly 26 years with the Harris County Sheriff’s Department. He said few instances bring officers and advocates together like this case. He came to advocate for first responders. Reese said in his experience, lower-ranked supervisors or officers get blamed for problems like this. Reese says he understands why the police union just hours earlier sent a letter to the mayor and council demanding Chief Finner recuse himself.
Perhaps the most emotional admonishment came from Tammy Lang Campbell, founder of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation.
“I’m here to express my concern for a broken system! HPD is NOT the judge and the jury and that is what they have been doing and denying people an opportunity; victims, at least, get their day in court. They have deemed themselves as judge and jury and we are asking for them to be held accountable.”
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