After reviewing suspended sex crime cases and expanding their search department-wide, the Houston Police Department revealed in February they had discovered more than 264,000 suspended cases dating back to 2016. So, how did this happen and what’s being done to fix the problem?
Number of Suspended Cases Skyrocket
During a press conference in February, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner announced the department had discovered more than 4,000 suspended sexual assault cases. The cases were suspended because police department employees used a code citing not enough personnel to investigate. Finner said he did not authorize the code and would no longer allow it to be used during his time as chief of police. However, after conducting a department-wide investigation, Finner revealed a few days later they had discovered more suspended cases — bringing the number to more than 264,000.
The Suspended Code
Police department employees were entering the code “SL” into the system, which signaled the case was suspended because there were not enough police officials to investigate. It’s unclear who created the code. Former HPD Chief Charles McClelland, who retired in 2016, said he was unaware of the code. Former police chiefs Martha Montalvo and Art Acevedo both declined to comment to the Houston Chronicle. However, an internal department manual last updated in December explicitily mentions the code. Chief Finner, who maintained he did not create the code, said he did not sign off on the department manual.
What’s Next For The Houston Police Department?
Earlier this month, Chief Finner said that investigators were reviewing the suspended sexual assault cases and had already completed more than 130 interviews with potential victims. Out of the more than 264,000 suspended cases, police investigators would prioritize victims of violence. Mayor John Whitmire has also appointed a five-member review panel to investigate the Houston Police Department’s handling of the suspended cases. The panel chair is Ellen Cohen, former president of the Houston Area Women’s Center, which aims to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault against women.
So, what did the City Cast Houston crew think of the shocking number of HPD suspended cases?
