Houston PD suspends 260K criminal cases since 2016 due to personnel shortage, says Chief

Around 264,000 Criminal Cases Suspended by Houston Police Department Due to “Lack of Personnel”

In a shocking revelation, the Houston Police Department ‍(HPD) has suspended approximately 264,000 criminal cases, including over 4,000 ⁣sex assault cases, since 2016. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner cited a “lack‍ of ⁤personnel” code as the reason for these suspensions.

According to a report by⁢ the Houston Chronicle, an in-depth review conducted by the department uncovered that around 10% of the 2.8 ‍million ⁣incident reports ⁣filed over the past eight years were suspended using the “lack of personnel” code. This discovery prompted a closer ​examination of how the code​ was ⁤utilized across all divisions of ⁣the police ⁣department.

Code Developed a Decade Ago

Last‌ week,‍ Finner expressed his frustration with the suspension of sex assault cases,​ stating that the⁣ code should have never existed in ‌the first place.‍ He revealed that the code was developed⁤ around ten years ago to label reports as “suspended due to a lack of personnel.” However, he only became aware of its usage in 2021 and immediately ordered his department to stop using ‌it. An investigation is now underway to determine why his order was ‌disobeyed.

Finner’s anger and determination to rectify the situation were evident‌ in his statement ⁣to Fox 26 Houston: “Am I proud about this? No, I’m angry, ⁣okay, because​ I know we are better, and we are going to make it right, and⁣ we will make⁤ it right. We are still short of staff…but that’s not good enough when we are not⁢ investigating sexual ‍assaults.”

HPD’s Findings and Actions

The Houston Police Department released a statement on Monday, sharing its findings on the ‌use of the “lack of personnel code.” Out of the 264,000 suspended cases, approximately⁢ 100,000 involved property crimes. The​ department‌ emphasized⁢ that it will prioritize the review ⁢of sexual assault reports and has allocated additional personnel to other investigative divisions‍ to address crimes ⁢against persons.

Mayor’s Response

Houston Mayor John Whitmire expressed his concern and deemed the suspended cases⁤ “unacceptable.” ⁤He instructed Chief Finner to prioritize transparency and continue the‌ review ‍process, emphasizing that public ⁣safety⁢ remains his highest priority.

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Police Staffing Shortages in Houston

Houston, the largest city in Texas and ‍the fourth largest in the nation, has been grappling with police staffing ‌shortages in recent years, much like ⁣many other cities across the ‌country. As of April last year, the HPD was down 342 officers compared to 25 ‌years ‍ago, despite the city’s population growth. The resident-to-officer ratio has‍ increased significantly, from ⁣334 residents per officer‌ 25 years⁣ ago to 461 residents per officer in‍ 2021.

Sources:

• Houston Chronicle
• Houston Public Media
• Fox 26 Houston
• KHOU
• Houston Population Data
• Houston Population Density
• Houston Chronicle – Police ​Budget

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