The internal department’s investigations into the suspended cases are almost complete

HOUSTON – Mayor John Whitmire makes his position clear to KPRC 2 Investigates, explaining what he expects from the Houston Police Department’s internal affairs division regarding the investigation into why sexual assault cases were put on hold for years due to staffing shortages: “We want it done right,” Whitmire said.

The investigation has been ongoing for nearly four months after it was first uncovered by former HPD chief Troy Finner.

Finner abruptly retired in early May after a 2018 email involving Finner clearly showed that sexual assault cases had been put on hold three years before he first disclosed the matter, as was standard practice. According to the mayor, it was not just the email that played a role in his resignation, but also the letter KPRC 2 Investigates uncovered from Deputy Police Chief Chandra Hatcher that helped launch the investigation.

The letter to Chief Finner raised questions about Hatcher’s integrity, as she claimed to have attended a key HPD meeting in 2021 where the practice of suspending cases was discussed. However, sources confirm that Hatcher was actually out of town. Her absence from that meeting was highlighted during a meeting to discuss an investigation that had already been closed. However, following that revelation, the Internal Affairs Division was required to reopen the investigation.

When KPRC 2 Investigates asked interim chief Larry Satterwhite about Hatcher’s status and the allegations surrounding her actions, he did not hold back: “I think we’ll have to wait and see how she explains it,” Satterwhite said.

However, it has been over a month since Chief Satterwhite made those comments. Last Wednesday, we asked Whitmire about Hatcher’s status: “There is an investigation underway. There will be a full report. It will be transparent, and there will be people held accountable,” Whitmire said, adding, “I will share everything I know with the public and the people of Houston, and so will my investigative team.”

Whitmire said he expects the Internal Affairs Bureau to complete its investigation by July 1. HPD also confirmed that date to KPRC 2 Investigates.