HPD says over 81K reports reviewed of the 264K cases suspended due to lack of personnel

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner provided updates on Thursday regarding the ongoing investigation into the thousands of suspended cases within the department, originally brought to light by. Among the findings, it was revealed that out of the 264,000 suspended cases, 81,650 have been reviewed, indicating that someone has examined the reports and attempted to reach out to victims.

It was also discovered that approximately 26,000 cases were correctly suspended, but an incorrect code was used. For instance, one homicide case was initially classified as a failure to stop and render aid case.

Regarding sexual assault cases, out of the 4,107 reported incidents, 3,948 have been reviewed. The majority of these cases, totaling 3,079, have been inactivated due to lack of workable leads, signifying that the investigation has reached its limit.

Chief Finner emphasized the department’s commitment to thoroughly examining each incident report, despite the potential for both positive and negative outcomes.

In addressing the origin of the “suspended due to lack of personnel” code, it was revealed that the code was first introduced in 2016 to track cases with workable leads that could not be assigned due to staffing shortages. However, concerns were raised about its potential misrepresentation of case handling.

Mayor John Whitmire criticized the creation of the code, emphasizing the importance of addressing such issues transparently.

Chief Finner stated that he was not aware of the code until November 2021 and promptly instructed its cessation upon learning of its existence.

Moving forward, efforts are underway to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. The establishment of the Sexual Assault Response Team, comprising law enforcement, community members, and victim advocates, aims to address these systemic failures and prevent their recurrence.

Despite the challenges, Chief Finner expressed optimism about the progress made in the investigation after two months of intensive efforts.