Current:Home > StocksCommittee says lack of communication, training led to thousands of dropped cases by Houston police-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Committee says lack of communication, training led to thousands of dropped cases by Houston police
View Date:2024-12-23 22:42:06
HOUSTON (AP) — A breakdown in communication, a lack of training, inconsistent protocols and an ineffective records management system were some of the reasons that led to Houston police dropping more than 268,000 cases over nearly the past decade, a committee said Wednesday.
The cases, whose existence was made public earlier this year, were never submitted for investigation as officers assigned them an internal code that cited a lack of available personnel. Among these cases were more than 4,000 sexual assault cases and at least two homicides.
“It’s a new day in Houston dealing with public safety,” Mayor John Whitmire said after members of the independent committee, which he formed in March, detailed their findings to Houston City Council at its weekly meeting.
Christina Nowak, one of the committee’s five members, told city council that the group found “significant issues” within Houston police’s case management and operations, including understaffing and inadequate communications between divisions and executive leadership. There was also a lack of adequate training for supervisors at all levels.
The committee found the Houston police department’s various investigative divisions were “operating in near total autonomy, leading to inconsistent and outdated case management practices,” Nowak said. The department’s current records management system is outdated, with information on investigations scattered across multiple systems, making it difficult to analyze and share. A new, improved system is set to be operational next year.
The committee said the police department also does not adequately use technology to help officers with their investigations and has a shortage of civilian staff who could help officers in their casework.
The committee recommended Houston police standardize its case management procedures, implement its new records management system, increase training for officers and department leadership and increase and retain its civilian staff.
“The committee wants to acknowledge that (Houston police) has recognized the severity of these issues, and is taking proactive steps to prevent further recurrence,” Nowak said.
Ellen Cohen, the committee’s chairperson, said the recommendations are focused on enhancing the transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of the police department’s case management practices.
“We realize that these recommendations require significant, significant investments in resources, technology and infrastructure,” Cohen said.
Whitmire said it was still shocking to him that Houston police had used this policy of dropping cases for lack of personnel for nearly 10 years. “We’re going to improve (Houston police) based on the recommendations,” he said.
The controversy and criticism involving the dropped cases resulted in the sudden retirement in May of then-police chief Troy Finner. A new police chief, J. Noe Diaz, was appointed earlier this month.
Finner had first made public the existence of the dropped cases in February. An investigation revealed a code first implemented in 2016 to identify why a case was dropped later became a way for officers to justify decisions to stop investigating all manner of crimes, including when violence was involved.
Finner previously told the Houston Chronicle that he regrets failing to grasp the extent of the dropped cases earlier. He said the department and its leaders — himself included — were so busy, and the use of the code was so normal, that the severity of the issue didn’t register with anyone in leadership.
Whitmire said Houston police were still working through the backlog of dropped cases.
___
Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
veryGood! (65549)
Related
- John Krasinski Revealed as People's Sexiest Man Alive 2024
- Police say 2 Jewish schools in Montreal were hit by gunshots; no injuries reported
- Democrats urge Biden to protect Palestinians in the U.S. from deportation amid Gaza war
- Puerto Rico declares flu epidemic as cases spike. 42 dead and more than 900 hospitalized since July
- Why Jersey Shore's Jenni JWoww Farley May Not Marry Her Fiancé Zack Clayton
- Michigan man gifts bride scratch-off ticket worth $1 million, day after their wedding
- Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn't believe he was ejected from Bucks' win over Pistons
- The father of a dissident Belarusian novelist has been arrested in Minsk
- Republican Dan Newhouse wins reelection to US House in Washington
- Amazon takes another shot at health care, this one a virtual care service that costs $9 per month
Ranking
- When does Spirit Christmas open? What to know about Spirit Halloween’s new holiday venture
- FBI searching for Jan. 6 suspect Gregory Yetman in Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Japanese automaker Nissan’s profits zoom on strong sales, favorable exchange rates
- Blake Shelton Playfully Trolls Wife Gwen Stefani for Returning to The Voice After His Exit
- What’s the secret to growing strong, healthy nails?
- Hockey Player Adam Johnson Honored at Memorial After His Tragic Death
- What are the most common Powerball numbers? New study tracks results since 2015
- Watch as barred owl hitches ride inside man's truck, stunning driver
Recommendation
-
Detroit-area police win appeal over liability in death of woman in custody
-
MGM’s CEO says tentative deal to avoid strike will be reached with Las Vegas hotel workers union
-
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly higher after China reports that prices fell in October
-
North Carolina woman and her dad get additional jail time in the beating death of her Irish husband
-
Utah AD Mark Harlan rips officials following loss to BYU, claims game was 'stolen from us'
-
The father of a dissident Belarusian novelist has been arrested in Minsk
-
What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights, and how is it celebrated in India and the diaspora?
-
Sheriff: 2 Florida deputies seriously injured after they were intentionally struck by a car