HOUSTON – A pivotal memo obtained by KPRC 2 Investigates shows communication between two of Police Chief Troy Finner’s highest-ranking executive members.
They’re discussing, in their own handwriting, whether to issue an advisory alerting the department about the use of labels in suspended cases.
The memo was from Deputy Director of Office Planning and Data Governance, Diana Poor and sent to Chief Finner through Executive Chief Matt Slinkard.
It informs Finner that the system for data keeping with the label “Suspended - Lack of Personnel” had been renamed to “Suspended.”
Poor writes that the circular, or memo, serves to notify officers about the label change and guidance for “for use of suspended activity types.”
Beneath the type-written message are handwritten notes involving Poor, Slinkard and Executive Assistant Chief Jim Jones, according to sources.
Jones asks in one section if the circular is necessary since it only applies to investigations.
In another, Slinkard writes “route to EAC Jones prior to COP (Chief of Police) for Chief Jones review then to COP.”
Jones then writes, “recommend not issuing.”
The memo is stamped by “Investigations and Special Operations.”
Chief Finner has admitted knowing in 2021 that sex assault cases were being suspended. He did not launch any kind of audit or review at that time. And perhaps most importantly, he did not alert the victims of those 4,017 suspended cases. That decision didn’t come until February of this year when we learned of the suspended sexual assault cases and then found out that in all, more than 264,000 criminal cases had been suspended over at least the last eight years.
We asked the chief about the internal document Wednesday, one day after he held a “no cameras” discussion with the media.
“I’m not gonna discuss documents of the investigation, as I said. And I want to be clear with this. Yesterday, after I met with the media for almost two hours. You were there. I’m not gonna discuss anything directly involved with the investigation to the media. I’m not gonna do that,” Finner said. “Once the investigation is complete, I’ll address it.”
In that “no cameras” discussion Tuesday, Chief Finner described Jones as brilliant and said he wanted to honor him as Jones prepares to leave HPD in the coming weeks. Finner also characterized Jones as a “Target” of the IAD investigation only to later label him as “Target or Witness " The internal document shows Jones recommended not issuing the department-wide message alerting officers about the use of suspended codes. Additional messaging shows Slinkard agreed with Jones, but said it should be issued as a standard operating procedure.
Jones is the highest-ranking person named in the suspended cases investigation. He works in the Chief’s office and just last week announced he is leaving HPD. It’s also important to note that even though Finner says he first learned of this practice in 2021, it wasn’t until over two years later that HPD launched a full investigation and review into cases being suspended. We know that since cases have been reopened, victims have been contacted and charges filed, investigative measures and operations Finner failed to conduct in 2021.
DIVE DEEPER:
5 things to know in Houston’s suspended sexual assault cases investigation