In a significant development within the Houston Police Department, Chief Troy Finner has announced his retirement, effective as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. This announcement was confirmed by Mayor John Whitmire in a late-night email to city employees, following a series of internal investigations and media reports concerning suspended police cases.

Chief Finner, who has been at the center of recent departmental scrutiny, communicated his decision to retire verbally, with formal documentation yet to be submitted. His immediate replacement, Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite, has been appointed as the acting chief of police, as the city navigates through this transitional period.

Mayor Whitmire expressed his full confidence in Satterwhite's capability to maintain and elevate the high standards of the police department. "This decision comes with full confidence in Acting Chief Satterwhite’s abilities to lead and uphold the high standards of the department," Whitmire stated in his communication to the city staff.

The backdrop to Chief Finner's retirement includes an internal investigation involving over 260,000 police cases that were reportedly suspended due to staffing shortages, an issue that has sparked significant public and media scrutiny. Despite initial claims of being unaware of the issue until 2021, recent reports and a March press conference have brought to light that Chief Finner was informed of the problematic "suspended lack of personnel" code as far back as 2018.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday evening, Finner addressed these allegations, stating he had no recollection of the specific 2018 email exchanges that have been cited by several Houston TV stations. He emphasized, "Even though the phrase ‘suspended lack of personnel’ was included in this 2018 email, there is nothing that alerted me to its existence as a code or how it was applied within the department."

This unfolding story remains under close observation as the community and the police department reflect on the implications of these revelations and the transition in leadership. As Acting Chief Satterwhite takes the helm, the focus is now on restoring trust and integrity within the Houston Police Department amid these challenging times.

For more info on this developing story, visit houstontx.gov/police/chief/