March 6, 2024 -- To ensure transparency and maintain public trust, Mayor John Whitmire announced today that he is appointing an independent panel to review the Houston Police Department's handling of suspended cases.
"I trust and believe Police Chief Troy Finner is doing the best he can to manage the internal investigation, get to the bottom of it, and hold people accountable," said Mayor Whitmire. "The independent panel will be people I also trust to review and validate the outcome and help bring closure to the victims."
In the coming days, the mayor will release the names of the individuals who have agreed to serve on the independent review panel.
Chief Finner confirmed that HPD is sorting through 264,000 incident reports that were suspended using an internal HPD code citing a lack of personnel. The Chief has assigned additional investigators to review the reports and contact victims.
"I am deeply concerned about how and why this happened. The public wants answers and accountability. This process of appointing an independent panel will validate the investigation's integrity," said Mayor Whitmire.