In the wake of a burgeoning scandal surrounding the Houston Police Department, City Council members have pledged their support to Police Chief Troy Finner despite an internal investigation disclosing the suspension of over 264,000 cases for lack of manpower. The dropped cases include a staggering 100,000 property crimes and at least 4,000 special victims unit reports; this revelation has raised significant concerns about the department's effectiveness and resource allocation, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
Mayor John Whitmire and Chief Finner, unflinching in the face of the uproar, have criticized the justification for these suspended cases with Whitmire stating, "The way they handled it was about as bad as you can handle something," and making clear his disdain for understaffing serving as an excuse, according to ABC13. In attempts to address the fallout, Chief Finner has been said to be transparent about the situation, with Council Member Abbie Kamin, formerly chair of the public safety committee, telling the Houston Chronicle, "(Finner) has been unwavering in his commitment to get to the bottom of this."
However, as budget deliberations loom, tough questions linger about the police department's funding and operations, with calls for increased transparency and accountability. "To regain trust between the public and the police department, there needs to be as many eyes as possible on the inner workings of the policies and the day-to-day operations of the department,” Council Member Edward Pollard said, in a notion reflected by many of his colleagues who are gearing up for a keen review of expenditures during the upcoming budget hearings.
The police department, currently swallowing more than a third of the city's operating budget, faces even more scrutiny as the city stares down a multi-million dollar shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, with repercussions potentially echoing throughout the community, Controller Chris Hollins estimated the city will face somewhere between a $230 million to $280 million budget shortfall, while emphasizing that the police department, exempt from budget cutbacks due to state law, may yet require additional resources to rectify the personnel shortages that have partially contributed to this crisis.
Despite the designated financial immunity the police benefits from, the scandal has already seen concrete consequences with two assistant chiefs demoted, and it continues to trigger statements from state officials, with Governor Greg Abbott calling for further consequences. The aftermath suggests that amidst the ongoing fallout, the topic of proper police funding and management will indubitably be at the forefront of many fiery discussions in the upcoming budget season as Houston's leadership grapples with re-establishing credibility in its police force.
