HOUSTON – Two assistant chiefs with the Houston Police Department have been demoted as a result of the fallout from the department’s investigations scandal, KPRC 2 Investigates has confirmed.
“I have spoken with two of our Assistant Chiefs, they advised me they were demoted,” said Doug Griffith, President of the Houston Police Officers Union.
According to Griffith, the two chiefs who were demoted are Kevin Deese and Ernest Garcia.
The department came under fire after it was announced that 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 due to a lack of manpower. Of those cases, over 4,000 were sexual assault cases.
Mayor John Whitmire released a statement on the matter:
“This is a very serious matter. I have instructed Chief Troy Finner to get to the bottom of the investigation and hold people accountable. I am pleased to see that is happening and will continue.”
Separate from the demotions, KPRC 2 Investigates also learned about specific instructions that Houston Police Chief Troy Finner provided Thursday morning to dozens of HPD investigators who have been shifted to now fully investigate all of the suspended cases that have been ignored for years. Multiple sources conveying to KPRC 2 Investigates that Finner’s instructions dealt specifically with body cameras and how they should be operated during what Houstonians have been told would be a fully transparent investigation,
“He said if you come into contact with a complainant turn the camera off,” said Griffith, who went on to add that HPD body cam policy states, “You have to get a supervisors permission to do so.”
Griffith making on thing clear, “This is the deal, the chief makes the policy and he can modify it, with his word he may be able to say, ‘ok look guys this is what I want you to do,” said Griffith.
When asked if he thinks that policy should be modified at a time in which Houstonians are being told HPD will be transparent as they now go back and look at these cases?
Griffith didn’t hesitate, “Well I’ll be honest with you for the camera purposes and the evidence purposes I just think it’s a bad look.”
We did seek comment from Chief Finner on the demotions as well as what was told to officers regarding body cams. Finner did not get back to us.
As for the news briefing, Finner told Houstonians on Monday that would be happening later this week, the news conference never happened.