Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner Announces Retirement, Satterwhite Named Acting Chief

HOUSTON – Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner announced his retirement. That’s according to an email obtained by FOX 26 from Houston Mayor John Whitmire.

In the email, Whitmire said he accepted Finner’s retirement.

According to Whitmire, Larry Satterwhite was named interim police chief Tuesday evening at 10:31 p.m.

This announcement follows several major news events, including the investigation into 264,000 cases suspended due to the “understaffing” code.

SUGGESTED: HPD Chief Finner implicated in 2018 email using code ‘suspended understaffing’

On Tuesday, an email surfaced showing Finner was involved in a conversation regarding the “lack of personnel code” suspended in 2018.

Finner was included in an email chain regarding a road rage incident marked with the code by a superior officer despite there being leads to follow up on the case. At the time the email was sent, Finner was the executive assistant chief of patrol operations.

In the email response, Finner calls the lack of investigation “unacceptable” and orders officers to follow up on the case.

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Since the investigation into the “understaffing” code, Finner has repeatedly stated that he was unaware of the closure before 2021.

Chief Finner claimed in a recent tweet that he had “no recollection” of the email and that it was included in the internal investigation. “I have always been honest and have never tried to mislead anyone about anything, including this investigation,” he said.

In his statement, he also claims that although the phrase “suspended staff shortage” was mentioned in the 2018 email, nothing alerted him to its existence in code or how it was being used within the department.

Finner recently announced that HPD has concluded its internal investigation into the 264,000 suspended cases. During that review, 54 charges were filed and nearly two dozen arrests.

Finner was born in the Fifth Ward neighborhood of Houston, grew up in the Hiram Clark neighborhood, was a graduate of Madison High School, earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice at Sam Houston University and a master’s degree in criminology at the University of Houston. Clear Lake.

Finner began his career in law enforcement in 1990. He has served the citizens of Houston for 31 years in the Bureau of Public Affairs, Southwest Division, South Gessner Division and Internal Investigations Command .