After 32 years on, “it’s still easy for me to come to work. Not because I am chief, but because I love this job, I love helping people, I love my city, and I love my department,” stated Chief Troy Finner.
As Chief of the Houston Police Department (HPD) for the fourth largest city in the United States, this job comes with its set of challenges, but for Chief Finner, he embraces the challenges and takes great pride in serving this great city.
Chief Finner was born in the 5th Ward of Houston, Texas, but was raised in Hiram Clarke. His mom held a few jobs here and there but was primarily “the manager of the house” taking care of six kids. His father was a machinist for Uncle Ben’s Rice for many years until his retirement. He then worked for Bo’s Place, which is a service for those who have lost loved ones. Chief Finner watched his parents work tirelessly and saw the results of their hard work. “I’m not just standing here by myself. I had two great role models. My mom taught me unconditional love. Dad taught me hard work, but I’m very proud of our roots.” Although he lost his mom on July 27, 2001, she did have “the chance to see her son be appointed to chief of police before she went home to be with God.”
For Chief Finner, it is all about hard work, life, family, and having a true village. His family was from all over Houston and because of his village; it is a part of who he is today. He reflected on his 3rd grade teacher, Evelyn Spencer, who he still talks to today and how she has greatly impacted his life. “She’s still alive and I’m still in touch with her because she was so important to me, and that’s what kids don’t have right now.” His teacher not only cared about him and other kids, but also would come down on them with a firm hand when needed. “That’s the importance of family, the neighborhood structures, and then order.” Again, he stated, “That’s what we don’t have right now.”
He then reflected on how hurtful it is for him to think about the young kids in neighborhoods, especially high crime neighborhoods because no one talks about the trauma they are exposed to day in and day out without any counseling nor support system. “People who cared and people who kept us in line is what’s lacking right now…And I ask our entire city to come together and make sure we put the resources back in to those areas and make sure we are taking care and coaching and loving those kids in those areas.”
As a first-generation cop in his family, Chief Finner wants young men and young women of color to consider a career in law enforcement or in criminal justice because of the many people you can help and how rewarding the job is. “Don’t get caught up in just looking at what’s on the TV with a few officers who have done wrong, look at the true profession, look at what most of us do, and look at what you can do for the community.”
Despite the challenges that HPD has faced with keeping the city of Houston safe, issues with COVID, and so much more, Chief Finner is very proud of his officers. There is a misconception with some people believing that police control all aspects of reducing crime, but “it’s not true,” Chief Finner, stated. “We need everybody working together. If there is lack of education, lack of jobs, or no hope, you are going to have crime, you know? So, we have to think of ways that we can direct resources and have strategies where we are really identifying the really violent individuals and lifting those individuals up in the community that are suffering from drug dependency, mental illness, those individuals that are committing low level non-violent crime. Let’s try to divert them from the criminal justice system and get them some help.”
In today’s society, there are many people who do not trust the police, who fear the police, and who want to defund the police. Chief Finner and HPD are working hard to bridge those fears and mistrust through “relational policing,” a note taken from former police Chief Acevedo. “I still support that and that’s still a part of my administration because every contact, positive or negative…it’s an opportunity to build a stronger relationship.” He also mentioned the importance of youth programs and how those programs should continuously be pushed as well as officers going to visit schools if they have downtime so kids can see a police officer in a more positive environment and not just when a situation arises.
In addition, Chief Finner strongly believes in being transparent and honest with the community as well as communicating effectively about what is going on. “The best thing that you need to do is watch how you talk to people. Take the little time and explain things to people. It diffuses a lot instead of just stopping somebody and writing them a bunch of tickets and go on about your way, or stopping somebody and don’t write them a ticket, but don’t explain anything to them, and it’s like, well, why is this officer stopping me? They may not even know. Just as we are intentional on increasing those activities that we know are going to reduce crime, you have to adjust your mouthpiece. What I mean by that, talk to people with respect, talk to them the way that you want your family’s members spoken to.”
Under Chief Finner’s leadership, many great things have occurred. In recent events, Chief Finner and Mayor Turner were invited to the White House and praised by President Biden on Houston’s One Safe Houston Plan. The plan involves reducing crime, which is funded by the American Rescue Plan. Additionally, the department was recently apart of the gun buy-back event, that collected more than 800 firearms off the streets of Houston.
When it is all said and done, Chief Finner wants to be known as a person who tried to make things better. “I’m only chief for a few days, but I’m Troy Finner for life and it’s important for me to be somebody who cared enough to do something and get involved. For my legacy, I want the police department and relations better than when I arrived here.”
He passionately closed with. “If I leave here and most people refer to the police department as my police department, my chief, my police officers and not those cops, that department, I think we’ve arrived.”
