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Houston Police Chief Troy Finner speaks about crime after being in office one year later
FOX 26 Anchor Isiah Carey spoke with Houston Police Chief Troy Finner regarding the current crime rate and other challenges he's faced after being in office for one year.
HOUSTON - Chief Troy Finner is talking about his first year as top cop in Houston. However, he knows the honeymoon is over.
In an exclusive sit-down with FOX 26's Isiah Carey, Chief Finner acknowledges that crime has become an overwhelming issue for the city in the first half of 2022. Murders have already surpassed 100 and a number of officers have died in the line of duty recently, but Finner says the numbers are on their way down.
"It was up 70% compared to the previous year, but those numbers as of today are down 10%. We're trending in the right direction."
Mayor Sylvester Turner introduced new measures to fight the crime rate in February, with an increased presence on the streets and addressing the case backlog in the court system. Finner cites Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19 as reasons why we're so far behind and believes another solution could be increasing capacities in county jails for local offenders.
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One-on-one with Houston Police Chief Troy Finner
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner has been on the force for one year. He sits down with Isiah Carey for a look back on a very active year and what’s to come for Houstonians.
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"We let them out. What are you saying? You're encouraging them to go out and do other crimes."
Chief Finner believes low bonds add to the growing issue, with county jails becoming a revolving door for career criminals. He's using many of his new resources to help fight the rising crime rate, but he says he can't do it alone.
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Houston Police Chief Finner calls out backlog in court system
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner is one year into the job as police chief and knows residents are focused on crime. He says one thing he can't do is address the court system's backlog and criminals getting bond. Finner calls out the bail bond industry for their practices that helps put suspects back out on the street.
"We have to be smart about our resources," Finner says. "And make sure we keep a laser focus on those individuals that are committing our violent crimes."
While Chief Finner is working closely with local officials, he also cites the city's residents as a major asset, saying no one will fight for the city like Houstonians.