As part of an ongoing effort to address the Houston Police Department’s backlogged cases, officials unveiled a dashboard detailing how the department is reviewing the more than 260,000 suspended cases.
At the public safety committee meeting on Tuesday, Police Chief Noe Diaz, along with Mayor John Whitmire’s team and Deputy Inspector General Christina Nowak, introduced the newly created dashboard.
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The effort is also part of the department’s mission to promote transparency offering updates on investigative progress.
The suspended cases, which span several divisions including Special Victims, Major Assaults, Homicide, and Property Crimes, were part of an internal code that paused investigation into these incidents.
Following the controversy in March, Houston Mayor John Whitmire appointed an independent committee to oversee the investigation into these suspended cases. In May, then-Police Chief Troy Finner resigned amid the scrutiny.
“The community can go up there and see where the cases are, how they’re being worked, and where we are as a metric compared to where we were at the beginning of the investigation,” Diaz said.
Despite this potential step in the right direction, Chief Diaz notes the biggest hurdle the department needs to get through is hiring more people.
“We’re short-staffed; that’s the reality of this business,” he explained.
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When asked by city council members if HPD has enough resources to currently handle every case, the chief said frankly “No.”
“We’re pulling staffs from other disciplines within the police department... because it’s an investigative report but we are working toward those goals to ensure that we’re meeting those needs.”
However, due to Mayor Whitmire’s recent pay raise announcement, there may be some hope after all.
“The office of the mayor is on us every day, so we make sure to stay on top of it,” Diaz said. “Because of Council, we’re going to get a new Records Management System.”
New dashboard highlights
HPD is prioritized reviewing crimes against persons over property crimes, with the most attention given to cases involving violent offenses.
By the end of August, HPD reviewed approximately 200,000 incidents, completing 75% of the process. A breakdown of progress reveals that 199,754 cases have been reviewed, with 69,166 still pending review.
SEE ALSO: Key takeaways from Houston Police Department’s suspended cases report
Breakdown of case status
- Inactivated (12%): These cases involve incidents pending grand jury decisions, lab analysis, or active warrants. Some cases have exhausted all leads without an arrest or official clearance.
- Closed (12%): This category includes incidents referred to other agencies, non-criminal matters closed after review, or cases closed by exceptional means according to department protocols.
- Cleared (8%): Cases where investigations resulted in an official clearance, such as an arrest, or were declined for prosecution by the District Attorney.
- Suspended (68%): Incidents where an arrest was made or an emergency detention order was issued, but no workable leads were available for further investigation.
Divisional review progress
The review process varies by division, with some completing their reviews entirely:
- Special Victims: 95% reviewed
- Major Assaults & Family Violence: 62% reviewed
- Property & Financial Crimes: 76% reviewed
- Homicide: 100% reviewed
- Vehicular Crimes: 100% reviewed
- Auto Theft: 98% reviewed
Look through the new dashboard below:
HPD continues to track the number of incidents reviewed and reports progress across divisions, ensuring transparency in how these cases are being handled. As the review nears completion, the department says it is committed to keeping the public informed about the status of the remaining cases.
Currently, the dashboard shares data from August 31, but is expected to be updated every other week.