Houston Mayor forms committee to review HPD's handling of 250,000+ suspended incident reports
Independent panel named to investigate HPD scandal
Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced who will be apart of the independent review committee to investigate Houston Police Department's handling of more than 250,000 suspended incident reports. FOX 26's Randy Wallace reports more on who will be involved.
HOUSTON - 264,000 police reports never seeing the light of day is the biggest debacle Mayor John Whitmire has faced in his first 11 weeks in office. He says it's now his top priority.
"I want Houstonians to know we are doing everything possible to reveal to them the full extent of the circumstances who knew what and when," Whitmire said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: HPD Chief Finner addresses how 264,000 cases ended up suspended
Whitmire says his Independent Review Committee will ensure transparency into one of HPD's biggest controversies.
More than a quarter of a million police reports ignored after being coded ‘lack of personnel.’
It went on under the watch of four police chiefs. Something the mayor can't wrap his head around.
"The craziness is, it's been used thousands and thousands of times, and you would think the rank and file would create chatter. Perhaps even the union, perhaps even the legislature, city officials, how about the mayor?" Whitmire said.
The Independent Review Committee members are Ellen Cohen, former member of the Texas House of Representatives and former Houston City Council member, Captain Jeff Owles with the Texas Rangers, Christina Nowak, Deputy Inspector General of the city's Office of Policing Reform and Accountability, The Reverend Leon Preston with the Greater Christian Hope Baptist Church, and Arturo Michel, appointed as Houston's City Attorney in December 2020.
"We trust our police. We're going to verify their work product, certainly their data and crime collection data," said Whitmire. "In terms of leadership, everybody will be held accountable."