Houston Police Chief Troy Finner resigns

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to date on the most essential Texas news.

Chief Troy Finner retired Wednesday from the Houston Police Department following a late resignation given to Mayor John Whitmire amid an ongoing investigation into how the department suspended thousands of criminal investigations, according to the media.

The problem involves an internal department computer code that police used in 264,000 cases to suspend investigations due to staffing shortages. The crimes included approximately 4,000 cases of sexual assault.

Finner’s sudden departure came after local media obtained an email showing Finner knew about the code as early as 2018. Finner previously said he learned about the code in 2021.

In a late evening email to city employees, Whitmire named Deputy Police Chief Larry Satterwhite as interim police chief, saying he had full confidence in Satterwhite’s abilities.

This is a developing story; check back for more details.

We have big things in store for you at the Texas Tribune Festival, taking place September 5-7 in downtown Austin. Join us for three days of big, bold conversations about politics, public policy, and the news of the day.