HOUSTON – After HPD Chief Troy Finner revealed to Houstonians on February 22 that he knew of sex assault investigations being suspended in 2021 through use of a code citing lack of manpower, but only gave verbal commands to stop using it, questions began to emerge.
“That’s the big issue Mario, how do you have trust?,” said Andy Kahan of Houston Crime Stoppers.
This is the question many have been asking of HPD considering what HPD Chief Troy Finner revealed at his only news briefing into the scandal.
At that briefing KPRC 2 Investigates asked Finner, “What steps did you take in 2021 to investigate these cases that had been suspended?”
Finner started off by saying, “That is part of the investigation.”
Then seconds later, HPD’s chief added, “I just want to say and tell you this and the public this one thing, don’t think that that was the only conversation I had, ‘oh just stop this and not do anything else.’ That is part of my IAD investigation.”
The scandal has overwhelmed Finner and his department for over ten days. The chief has not held another media briefing on this issue even though he told Houstonians there would be one last week.
The only development came last Friday when KPRC 2 Investigates broke the news that two Assistant Chiefs had been demoted.
However, as the scandal enters into its third week, it’s Finner’s comments regarding, in his words “my IAD investigation” that has us asking Finner and his media team directly the following;
- If this is part of his IAD Investigation as he calls it, then are the actions of Chief Finner being investigated by IAD?
- How can IAD properly investigate the chief if he can direct IAD the way he wants to?
- Has Chief Finner made any attempts for an independent investigation to investigate his verbal commands of 2021, as well if anything else was done for full transparency to Houstonians?
Chief Finner did not provide answers to our questions.
While the HPD chief remains silent, others are talking.
“I think that’s what needs to be done, to interview Chief Finner and ask him the questions we are talking about right now and maybe he can clear it up as to what he has done,” said Shelby Stewart a former HPD Sergeant and community activist.
As for Kahan?
“Buck stops with the chief, bottom line,” he said.
KPRC 2 Investigates did ask Kahan if the buck stops with the chief, how are Houstonians getting the real picture in an IAD investigation considering Finner’s comments?
“Great question,” said Kahan.
Sources tied to HPD tell us IAD investigations never look at the chief since he directs them. The same HPD source says there appears to be no example in HPD’s history of a sitting chief being investigated by internal affairs.