Current:Home > Contact-usCommittee says lack of communication, training led to thousands of dropped cases by Houston police-LoTradeCoin
Committee says lack of communication, training led to thousands of dropped cases by Houston police
View Date:2024-12-23 19:32:34
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police department’s various investigative divisions were “operating in near total autonomy, leading to inconsistent and outdated case management practices,” Nowak said. The department’s current records management system is outdated, with information on investigations scattered across multiple systems, making it difficult to analyze and share.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! (23)
Related
- Louisville officials mourn victims of 'unthinkable' plant explosion amid investigation
- State Department weighing new information from Israel in determining whether IDF unit violated U.S. law
- Texans WR Tank Dell shot in Florida, sustains minor wound, team says
- AIGM Crypto: the Way to Combat Inflation
- Does the NFL have a special teams bias when hiring head coaches? History indicates it does
- The Best (and Most Stylish) Platform Sandals You'll Wear All Summer Long
- Clayton MacRae : 2024 Crypto Evolution
- A Florida sheriff says 10 people were wounded by gunfire during an argument at a party venue
- John Krasinski Reveals Wife Emily Blunt's Hilarious Response to His Sexiest Man Alive Title
- Multiple tornadoes, severe weather hit Midwest: See photos of damage, destruction
Ranking
- Japan to resume V-22 flights after inquiry finds pilot error caused accident
- More than a dozen military families in Hawaii spark trial over 2021 jet fuel leak that tainted water
- New York Rangers sweep Washington Capitals, advance to second round of NHL playoffs
- Oklahoma towns hard hit by tornadoes begin long cleanup after 4 killed in weekend storms
- Trump breaks GOP losing streak in nation’s largest majority-Arab city with a pivotal final week
- CDC says it’s identified 1st documented cases of HIV transmitted through cosmetic needles
- Deepfake of principal’s voice is the latest case of AI being used for harm
- How Columbia University’s complex history with the student protest movement echoes into today
Recommendation
-
Brands Our Editors Are Thankful For in 2024
-
Who wants to be a millionaire? How your IRA can help you get there
-
Powerball winning numbers for April 27 drawing: Lottery jackpot rises to $149 million
-
A man charged along with his mother in his stepfather’s death is sentenced to 18 years in prison
-
'Wheel of Fortune' contestant makes viral mistake: 'Treat yourself a round of sausage'
-
AIGM puts AI into Crypto security
-
Tornadoes leave a trail of destruction in Oklahoma, communities begin to assess damage
-
Columbia protest faces 2 p.m. deadline; faculty members 'stand' with students: Live updates