HOUSTON – The Houston Police Department’s Union President, Doug Griffith, is asking the same set of questions on Friday of HPD Chief Troy Finner that KPRC 2 Investigates asked of the chief on Thursday after Finner revealed to Houstonians that he knew about sex assault cases being suspended as far back as November 2021.
“If you knew about it in 2021, why did we not take action then? Why did we not investigate the cases going back to 2016 then? And why did we not follow-up to make sure that code wasn’t being used again later?,” said Griffith.
Griffith also made it clear to KPRC 2 Investigates that HPD’s rank and file is telling HPOU the practice of suspending criminal investigations and blaming it on lack of manpower is happening in other departments within HPD as well.
“Well I have had people tell me, other divisions are also using that code,” said Griffith.
A number of individuals with ties to city hall or law enforcement tell KPRC 2 Investigates that recently elected Mayor John Whitmire is now facing an integrity test as a result of the scandal tied directly to his chief. The massive failure in investigating cases has now resulted in Houstonians questioning the credibility of the police chief in the nation’s fourth largest city as well as how the new mayor will hold his chief accountable.
“The mayor don’t have to hold me accountable. Troy Finner first of all always has held himself accountable, but accountability, yes I am accountable for the entire department,” said Finner during Thursdays’ news conference.
It is important to note that Mayor Whitmire ran a public safety first campaign for over a year and it resulted in an overwhelming victory. Now, only six weeks into his administration, Whitmire, like millions of Houstonians, are learning that Chief Finner did not put the safety of Houstonians first.
Whitmire did make one thing clear to KPRC 2 Investigates the day after he was elected.
“Well Finner knows how I feel, Finner will certainly be my chief on day 1, I expect him to do better, and he will do better,” said Whitmire at the time. KPRC 2 Investigates then asked, “And if not?,” Whitmire did not hesitate, “Well you always keep your options open.”
The mayor was out of the office on Friday after falling ill overnight but made it clear KPRC 2 Investigates that he has questions following Finner’s bombshell revelations on Thursday.
The mayor is not the only one with questions. KPRC 2 Investigates has them as well, including whether or not his chief is really doing better.
KPRC 2 Investigates is expected to get the mayor’s response to that question on Monday. We, of course, will have more on this on air and on our app.