Lucio Vasquez/Houston Public Media
Houston Mayor John Whitmire told reporters Wednesday that an email was at the center of news that Police Chief Troy Finnergan knew about the code used to suspend more than 260,000 incident reports that led to his sudden retirement. The decision to take place was the “final blow”.
His retirement announcement came in an email to city employees last Tuesday night. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office told Houston Public Media on Wednesday that Finneran was notified of his retirement verbally, and the city has not yet received a retirement letter.
His resignation comes a week after the Houston Police Department completed an investigation into thousands of police who were suspended due to internal personnel code deficiencies. However, according to Whitmire, the internal investigation was reopened just days later.
During a media briefing Wednesday, Whitmire called Finneran “a good friend” and said he felt “sickened” when he learned of the chief’s sudden retirement. Whitmire said he believed the ongoing investigation was “disruptive to the department” and was intended to refocus attention on the department by getting HPD “out of the news.” Whitmire also stressed that he did not pressure Finneran to retire and that Finneran had made the decision on his own.
“Chief Finneran has decided to retire. I accepted it and it wasn’t easy,” Whitmire said. “Chief Finner was spending a lot of time dealing with the press, dealing with the department…it was impacting operations at HPD.”
Acting Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite assumed his position as acting chief of the Houston Police Department effective Tuesday night at approximately 10:30 p.m.
“This decision is made with full confidence in Acting Chief Satterwhite’s abilities to lead and maintain the high standards of the department,” Whitmire wrote in an email Tuesday.
Lucio Vasquez/Houston Public Media
According to Whitmire, HPD’s internal investigation has, so far, “found no indication that (Satterwhite) knew anything” about the code that was allegedly used in more than 264,000 unreviewed incidents over the past eight years. The reports were to be suspended. The same can’t be said for Finneran, whose retirement came just hours after TV stations reported that Finneran knew about the codes as early as 2018 — despite his claims that he was told during a meeting in November 2021. The code was revealed.
RELATED: Chief Finneran says Houston police internal investigation into suspended cases concluded
In an evening post to the
“Even though the phrase ‘suspended reduction of personnel’ was included in this 2018 email, there is nothing that alerted me to its existence as a code or that it was used within the department,” he said Tuesday. How it is implemented.”
On Wednesday, Satterwhite said he was present at the November 2021 meeting where Finneran says he first learned about the code, but said his memory was hazy because he had to leave early to organize an event. Was lying. Tour of NRG Stadium before the infamous Astroworld concert.
“I don’t remember much about it,” Satterwhite said of the meeting. “It wasn’t my focus.”
Over the past few months, Finneran promised to release the findings of the investigation, but has not yet disclosed them. On Wednesday, Whitmire ensured that the findings would be released publicly once the investigation is completed.
Whitmire said he had no immediate details of his plan to find Houston’s next police chief. Until then, Satterwhite will lead the department.
This is a developing story.
