Tag Archives: Troy Finner

The Mayor’s committee’s report on the HPD suspended cases scandal

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Have at it. Several “critical issues” in the Houston Police Department, including mismanagement by agency leaders and understaffing in key divisions, contributed to a scandal involving suspended investigations into criminal cases, an independent committee wrote in a report released Wednesday. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Mayor’s committee’s report on the HPD suspended cases scandal

HPD has a new Chief

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new guy. Months of searching for Houston’s next full-time police chief ended with Mayor John Whitmire naming J. Noe Diaz, leader of the less than 100-person Katy Police Department, as Troy Finner’s replacement in charge of the nation’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HPD has a new Chief

HPD releases a dropped cases report

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Kudos for the serious review, but boy did this go on for a long time without anyone doing anything about it. Between 2016 and 2024, Houston Police Department leaders had multiple opportunities to question — and potentially stop — the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HPD releases a dropped cases report

Former Chief Finner says city is trying to bury HPD dropped cases issue

Posted on July 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Explosive stuff, with a strong pushback from the Mayor. Ever since Troy Finner suddenly retired in May, he has kept a low profile. The former Houston police chief has declined to speak with most members of the media and, aside … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor’s committee on HPD dropped cases provides its report

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Up to Council and HPD to take action now. The independent panel reviewing the ongoing Houston Police Department scandal over suspended cases identified an interim police chief as the one who ordered the creation of the “SL” lack of personnel … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More on the Finner departure

Posted on May 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That email was the final straw. After months of controversy surrounding the Houston Police Department’s practice of suspending cases due to short staffing, the revelation Tuesday that Chief Troy Finner was on an email discussing one such case in 2018 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HPD Chief Finner retires

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This came suddenly. Troy Finner has stepped down as chief of the Houston Police Department, Mayor John Whitmire announced in a late-night, four-paragraph email to city employees Tuesday. “I have accepted the retirement of Troy Finner as Chief of Police, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Astroworld lawsuit update

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Drake got himself removed as a defendant. A Harris County district court judge on Wednesday dismissed Drake from the sprawling civil lawsuit over the deadly Astroworld concert. The Canadian rapper was a guest performer at the November 2021 concert, appearing … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Some of those dropped HPD cases were connected to other cases

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Shocking, I know. Of the suspended sex crime incident reports submitted by the Houston Police Department to the Houston Forensic Science Center, nearly 100 came back with links to other cases, Chief Troy Finner said Monday evening. […] In HPD’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Some of those dropped HPD cases were connected to other cases

Travis Scott wants out of Astroworld lawsuit

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I would too if I were him. Whether he should or he will is another matter. Houston-born rapper Travis Scott said he should not be held personally responsible for the deaths of 10 people who died in the crushing crowds … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Travis Scott wants out of Astroworld lawsuit

Some AstroWorld defendants try to get out

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Lots going on here. Apple, Drake and other defendants targeted have asked a Harris County court to dismiss them from a sprawling lawsuit filed by victims of the 2021 Astroworld disaster. A flood of new motions and documents filed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Here’s your committee to investigate the HPD dropped cases situation

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them luck. Mayor John Whitmire on Wednesday named the five people who will run an independent investigation into the Houston Police Department’s handling of over 264,000 suspended incident reports. The committee will be led by a former state … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here’s your committee to investigate the HPD dropped cases situation

More on the HPD dropped cases

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Whitmire wants some answers. Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Wednesday called for an independent investigation into the Houston Police Department over how and why more than 264,000 cases were declared suspended for lack of personnel. “I trust and believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The HPD suspended cases situation

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what to make of this. A review of sex crimes cases suspended with an internal code citing a lack of personnel has expanded department-wide to include more than 264,000 cases, Police Chief Troy Finner said Monday. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mayor Whitmire wants to add Metro cops to HPD

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

On its face this makes sense. Mayor John Whitmire said he’s negotiating with Metro to combine its almost 400 public safety employees with Houston’s Police Department under Chief Troy Finner. The transit group’s police department, with a budget in 2024 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

On solving the crimes

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a nice profile of Precinct One Deputy Constable Joe Bowden, who is good at his job. His specialty is solving bike thefts, and I want to highlight this bit that shows him in action, and then share some … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

A crime threefer

Posted on December 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Houston on pace to post 20% decline in homicides in 2023 Houston’s homicide rate is down 20% compared to the year before, outpacing a historic decline in killings nationwide. The city logged 339 homicides thorough Dec. 18, down from 425 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Crime continues to decline in Houston

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Don’t let it get in the way of any campaigns. Houston was part of a nationwide decline in most crime statistics in major cities, leading one crime data analyst to say the trend shows that it … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Travis Scott and the Apple contract

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, this doesn’t look great. Houston police investigating the 2021 Astroworld concert disaster determined that a contract between Travis Scott and Apple required him to finish his set in order to receive a $4.5 million payment, according to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Travis Scott and the Apple contract

HPD releases its official report on the AstroWorld tragedy

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Read it and see for yourself. They looked like rag dolls, Reece Wheeler thought. One by one, the Astroworld Festival coordinator watched from the command center as unconscious Travis Scott fans’ were crowd-surfed out of the mosh pit and dumped … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HPD releases its official report on the AstroWorld tragedy

Grand jury no-bills Travis Scott

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No criminal charges will be filed over the deaths at the 2021 AstroWorld concert. A grand jury declined on Thursday to criminally indict rapper Travis Scott and five others in the 2021 Astroworld concert deaths, capping a nearly two-year police … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Grand jury no-bills Travis Scott

Houston’s violent crime rate drops in 2023

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday touted his crime initiative as the reason behind a double-digit year-to-year reduction in violent crime in the first quarter of 2023, but experts say the figures mirror wider national trends and warned … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

City approves new regulations on outdoor music festivals

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hope they help. Houston City Council on Monday approved stricter permitting requirements for outdoor music events on private property with more than 500 attendees. There has been an increasing number of instances in which organizers only informed the city of … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City approves new regulations on outdoor music festivals

Local AstroWorld task force gives its report

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds mostly okay to me, but one person who knows a lot more about this stuff than I do is not impressed. A task force formed after the deadly Astroworld concert unveiled a clearer agreement Monday between Houston, Harris County, … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Local AstroWorld task force gives its report

New regulations for outdoor music events proposed

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good idea, but it feels to me like there ought to be more. Houston is considering tightening up permitting requirements for some large outdoor music events to avoid wasting city resources accommodating last-minute notices. On Thursday, officials from the Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New regulations for outdoor music events proposed

The active shooter hoax at our neighborhood school

Posted on September 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This made for a super eventful Tuesday afternoon. Police and panicked parents scrambled to Heights High School Tuesday afternoon, in frantic response to a false report that a gunman had shot 10 people in a room on the 2,400-student Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Elsewhere in Houston, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

State task force recommendations on AstroWorld

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. To avoid a repeat of the mayhem at last year’s deadly Astroworld Festival, Texas needs to standardize its event permitting process, establish “clearly outlined triggers” for stopping shows and ensure local public safety agencies are organized in a clear … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State task force recommendations on AstroWorld

City Council approves security camera ordinance for bars and convenience stores

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have mixed feelings about this. Houston bars, nightclubs and convenience stores must install security cameras outside of their buildings within 90 days in a citywide surveillance effort Mayor Sylvester Turner hopes will diminish violent crime in high-risk areas. City … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Here comes that AstroWorld task force

Posted on February 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Got to admit, I had thought this had already happened. Three months after 10 people were killed at the Astroworld Festival at NRG Park, Houston and Harris County have named a 10-person task force to review procedures, permitting and guidelines … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here comes that AstroWorld task force

Travis Scott speaks

Posted on December 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Really not sure this was his best move. Amid countless lawsuits against him, Travis Scott sat down with The Breakfast Club radio personality, Charlamagne tha God, for his first public interview since a dangerous crowd surge injured hundreds and left … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I’ll see your AstroWorld lawsuit and raise you $10 billion

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a big number, though that’s partly because there are a lot of plaintiffs. A local law firm has just filed the largest suit to date against Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival after the mass-casualty tragedy that claimed the lives of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

No independent investigation of the AstroWorld tragedy

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure how I feel about this yet. Harris County will not launch an independent investigation into the Astroworld festival disaster after commissioners declined to support a plan by County Judge Lina Hidalgo to do so. Instead, the group on … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Some more AstroWorld stuff

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Firefighter logs from the event tell the story of early chaos and continued problems. Houston firefighters arrived at a small command post parked on the far-flung Orange Lot, about a mile from the festival grounds. They spent the day listening … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The safety protocols

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We won’t know for some time what exactly went wrong at AstroWorld, but we do know what should have been in place to keep the concertgoers safe. When tens of thousands of people are packed into a confined area like … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment