HOUSTON — Mayor John Whitmire Wednesday said things were “in a lot better shape” about a week ago as the internal affairs investigation into the Houston Police Department suspended case scandal was wrapping up.
Then, a series of disruptions created too big of a distraction that culminated in Chief Troy Finner’s retirement.
Those include an HPD email KHOU 11 Investigates obtained Tuesday that showed Finner knew about the code to suspend cases for lack of personnel in 2018 despite his claims that he first learned of the code in 2021.
"I was sick when I saw the recent email, but I don’t have time to be sick,” Whitmire told city council members Wednesday. “I have to protect this city and lead.”
Whitmire called the email the “final straw” that was a “distraction to the mission of the men and women of HPD.”
It wasn’t the only distraction. Whitmire said last Thursday, a letter from Executive Assistant Chief Schandra Hatcher raised red flags. Hatcher initially requested the internal affairs investigation into suspended cases after claiming she attended an executive staff meeting in 2021 in which she “distinctly recalled” discussions about uninvestigated sexual assault cases.
The problem, according to Whitmire and others, is Hatcher was not even in Houston at the time of the meeting.
“The department was being overwhelmed by the discussion of new information,” Whitmire said.
The mayor added all the new information coming to light was affecting morale at all levels of the department.
“It was affecting operations at HPD, that’s the bottom line,” he said.
With a need to focus back on crime-fighting, Whitmire said it was time for a change. When pressed on whether or not he gave Finner a “retire or you’re fired” ultimatum, Whitmire said, “We kept the dialogue going to the point that he retired.”
Background of 'lack of personnel' code
- May 7: KHOU 11 Investigates: HPD email shows Chief Finner knew about suspended cases code earlier than he claimed
- April 30: 45 suspects charged in HPD's review of suspended incident reports due to 'lack of personnel' code, Finner says
- April 18: ‘We remain laser-focused’ | HPD says all 4,000+ suspended adult sex crime reports have been reviewed
- April 11: KHOU 11 Investigates: 30 charges filed in HPD suspended cases
- April 8: HPD had named suspects in dozens of sex crime cases that were shelved
- April 2: Some charges filed as HPD continues to review cases suspended under department's 'lack of personnel' code, Finner says
- March 20: Independent review committee begins reviewing HPD's handling of suspended cases
- March 19: Police union calls for Houston Police Chief Troy Finner’s recusal in suspended case probe
- March 8: How does the statute of limitations impact HPD's suspended cases due to 'lack of personnel' code?
- March 7: Assaults top list of HPD cases suspended for lack of personnel
- March 7: Houston mayor calls for outside review into HPD after thousands of cases were suspended
- March 1: 2 HPD assistant chiefs demoted after hundreds of thousands of reported crimes were suspended, police officers' union says
- February 28: 'Things need to change' | Sexual assault survivors want voices to be heard
- February 28: 'I don't want to leave any victim behind' | HPD chief vows to clean up system that allowed 264,000 reported crimes to be suspended
- February 22: 'We owe them an apology' | HPD to thoroughly investigate 'suspended' sexual assault cases
- February 19: Mayor Whitmire weighs in on sexual assault cases that were suspended by Houston Police Department
- February 16: 'Should have never happened' | Houston police to review sexual assault cases that had been suspended