In a news release Tuesday, Missouri City announced Finner’s appointment with the police department and briefly mentioned his departure from HPD.
“While Missouri City does not minimize the seriousness of those matters, the City’s decision was based on its assessment of his extensive experience and his ability to lead the department forward,” city officials said in a news release.
Back in May 2024, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Finner’s retirement amid a major scandal shaking up the police department over suspended cases in HPD’s system. In February 2024, then-Chief Finner published a statement claiming a “significant” number of adult sexual assault cases had been incorrectly marked with a “suspended—lack of personnel” code by the department. The number of suspended criminal cases later ballooned to 264,000 instances dating back to 2016—4,000 of which involved sexual assaults.
Shortly after Finner’s resignation, then-interim Chief Larry Satterwhite presented Houston city leaders with an extensive report detailing the department’s “systematic failures” in properly processing case logs since 2016.
“It was a failure of leadership and a systematic failure of our department,” Satterwhite said in his presentation to city council. “And we all own that, from supervisors in the divisional level all the way up to the chief level.”
“This failure is gonna come back and bite us,” Finner told the Chronicle. “This is our opportunity to do something and lead the way. So I’m proud to take the blows. But tell the whole story.”
In the ensuing two years, Finner managed to stay largely out of the public eye after first joining HPD’s rank-and-file in 1990 and taking over as chief for the outgoing Art Acevedo in 2021. However Missouri City officials say he has a lot more work left to do serving the community.
“As part of the selection process, the City conducted a thorough review of Chief Finner’s qualifications, leadership background, and overall fit for the position,” city officials noted in the news release. “This evaluation focused on the experience, judgment, professionalism, and leadership capacity required to effectively lead the Missouri City Police Department and serve the community.”
Former Missouri City Police Chief Brandon Harris announced his retirement in January 2025.
It’s unclear if Finner’s appointment has been formally approved by Missouri City Council, but members are slated to meet on April 20, the same day he is sworn in as the department’s police chief.
“We are confident that Chief Finner brings the experience, leadership, and commitment necessary to guide our Police Department forward,” Mayor Robin J. Elackatt said in a statement. “His dedication to public service and his vision for strengthening community trust align with the values of Missouri City. I look forward to the positive impact he will have on public safety and community engagement.”