Houston's newest top cop says his priority will be combating city’s violent crime problem

Newly appointed Houston Police Chief talks with FOX 26

Troy Finner, who was approved by the Houston City Council on Thursday to be the new Houston Police Department Police Chief, talks with FOX 26.

HOUSTON - "I’m probably the luckiest guy in the world," said Troy Finner. "Lots of work to be done though."

Finner is spending his final days as an executive chief trying to keep up with all the well-wishers.

"It literally took me four days to get caught up on all the emails and texts," he said.

RAW: Troy Finner named new HPD Police Chief

Watch the full news conference where Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner was named the new Houston Police Department Chief of Police.

It’s not surprising that Finner, who’s known for keeping his head down and doing his job, already knows his top priority as Houston’s top cop, our city’s growing violent crime problem.

"There’s a lot of cracks in our community, definitely cracks in the criminal justice system," he said.

Interview with new HPD Chief Troy Finner

Troy Finner, who was approved by the Houston City Council to become the new Houston Police Department Police Chief, spoke with us about his plans once he takes office next month.

Chief Art Acevedo has made his anger for some criminal district court judges known.

As we’ve been telling you in our on-going series Breaking Bond, violent offenders freed from jail on multiple felony and personal recognizance bonds keep committing more crimes.

"I’m from the neighborhoods. I know Houston," said Finner. "Imagine being in a particular neighborhood and somebody shoots and kills somebody and then they get out. Imagine what that does to the psyche of potential witnesses."

Finner says our climbing murder rate would be even higher if it wasn’t for Houston’s world renowned medical center and its trauma care.

"We have to be concerned with dealing with those individuals who are shooting people," he said. "It may not show up as a murder because the person didn’t die, but it’s equally as violent and it’s disrupting the community."