Amidst internal chaos and public scrutiny, the Houston Police Department scrambles to find stable leadership. Following the retirement of Chief Troy Finner amidst a scandal involving over 260,000 uninvestigated incident reports, Acting Chief Larry Satterwhite has assumed the daunting role of interim head of the department. As the city struggles to regain trust, Satterwhite is "caught up" on the investigations that led to the upheaval of his predecessor.
According to KTRK, the search for a permanent replacement could prove to be a challenge in the current climate. The previous hunt for a chief took nine months in a far less tumultuous period for the HPD. Now, the department must also contend with a manpower shortage and an ongoing Internal Affairs investigation. "It's premature to talk about the process of selection," Mayor John Whitmire stated, acknowledging the difficulty of the task ahead.
Satterwhite, in an email to department employees announced by Whitmire, was named acting chief following Finner's sudden departure, as reported by The Houston Chronicle. Finner's exit came on the heels of revelations regarding his awareness of the suspended investigations. The Acting Chief, during a 3 p.m. news conference, admitted to attending a meeting about the suspended cases back in 2021 but claimed his focus was elsewhere due to planning for the Astroworld festival.
With his plate full in addressing the current crisis, Satterwhite was quoted saying, "It would be great to be the chief, but I understand the real world." This statement reflects an awareness of the possibility that Mayor Whitmire might opt to bring someone in from outside the HPD to fill the role permanently, a move that Rice University Political Science Professor Bob Stein believes to be necessary in order to "clean that up." Despite expressing some doubts that candidates would willingly step into the fray before the department's issues are resolved, Stein acknowledges the importance of stable leadership.
Mayor Whitmire makes an appointment, with the assurance that the decision will be informed by council discussions and the voices of Houstonians.
