Turner picks HPD veteran as new chief
Houston native selected as Acevedo’s successor
Shortly after Police Chief Art Acevedo announced he was moving to Miami, Mayor Sylvester Turner’s phone started blowing up. Everyone had an opinion about who should succeed him.
He wanted someone who could move into the job seamlessly, someone who understood the city, its people and the Houston Police Department. After days of thought, he chose Troy Finner, one of Acevedo’s top two assistant chiefs. Finner, a native Houstonian from Fifth Ward, went to Madison High School, has worked at HPD for the past three decades and developed relationships with residents across the city, Turner said.
“He has earned — and I underscore that — the trust and respect of people in every corner of our diverse community,” Turner said. “He is strong, he is a decisive leader and
he is someone people follow.”
Turner made the announcement Thursday afternoon before a crowd that included Finner’s wife, Sherrian, and their 10-yearold son, Wyatt, and dozens of high-ranking city officials, including Acevedo and former Chief Charles McClelland.
Finner joined the department in 1990 and gained a reputation as an affable, kind and tireless worker with a deep love for the city and the department. He was born in Fifth Ward and still lives in the city.
In his first comments, the incoming chief said his two immediate priorities would be to reduce the number of murders and rising violence that have plagued the city in the last year.
“It’s time that everybody take some responsibility and everybody come together and stop throwing stones at one another,” he said. “Let’s sit down.”
Before a crowd of dozens, he also thanked Executive Assistant Chief Matt Slinkard — the other top candidate — for agreeing to continue on at HPD under his command. The two are close personal friends and have served as top executives within HPD under both Acevedo and McClelland.
In recognition of the pair’s close working relationship, Turner said, the department will undergo a reorganization to its command structure in which Slinkard will report directly to Finner in the role of executive chief, with two executive assistant chiefs beneath him.
Slinkard, meanwhile, noted the pair’s long relationship working together, a bond that had made them as close as family.
“We’ve been in the trenches together for many years helping the city,” he said. “I will continue to work tirelessly day in and day out to support you. … I’m proud of you.”
Longtime law enforcement leaders described Finner as more outgoing, with a history of working in patrol or operations assignments, while Slinkard is known as more of a reserved leader.
Finner was sworn in as a Houston police officer in 1990.
Finner’s career took him on patrol assignments in Southwest Patrol and South Gessner; he also handled assignments in communication services, internal investigations, criminal investigations and public affairs. Finner spent 12 years working as a patrol officer before being promoted to sergeant in 2002. He spent five years in that role before becoming a lieutenant, and then was promoted directly to assistant chief in 2014.
After Acevedo arrived, he tapped Finner to be one of his two top subordinates, where he oversaw the department’s Field & Support Operations, which includes all of the department’s patrol commands, as well as the property room, fleet maintenance, the joint processing center and the traffic enforcement division.
Slinkard had assignments in communication services, tactical support, investigative and special operations, the narcotics division — where he worked as a lieutenant — as well as assignments in crime analysis and as McClelland’s chief of staff. Slinkard was promoted to captain in 2009, then to assistant chief in 2011.
Acevedo in January 2017 tapped him as the department’s other executive assistant chief, and he now oversees HPD’s Investigative & Special Operations command, which includes investigative units such as the homicide division, burglary and theft, and robbery. It also includes undercover divisions such as the narcotics, vice and auto theft divisions.
Finner’s two past bosses — and union leaders — praised the decision.
“Whenever I had issues in the community, he knew someone who was a community leader,” said McClelland, who promoted Finner to assistant chief in 2014. “He had a wealth of community connections. He was a genuine asset on my executive team.”
Acevedo described Finner as a “phenomenal crime fighter.”
“Do not confuse kindness for weakness,” he said. “He’s going to be tough as nails, but he has the empathy and the compassion, having been raised in this community, to understand the pain of the community and the challenges of the community.”
Houston Police Officers’ Union President Doug Griffith said union leaders were “proud” of Finner’s selection.
“We have always said that we have some of the best law enforcement leaders in the country right here at the Houston Police Department,” he said. “We are very confident in Chief Finner’s leadership skills and know that he has the respect of the rank and file of the entire Houston Police Department.”
Their enthusiasm was echoed by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who recalled working with Finner to fight crime in the Gulfton area in the mid ’90s.
“I have full confidence that we can combat crime and treat the community fairly in the future on a citywide basis,” she said.” He is well liked and well respected and can bring a sense of unity and public safety to the community.”
Other local law enforcement leaders also offered their congratulations, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez among them.
“HPD is in great hands with Troy at the helm,” he tweeted after the news was announced.
In choosing Finner, Turner also said a key priority is to implement many of the recommendations made by his Police Reform Task Force last summer.
Larry Payne, the task force’s chairman, said he was ready to “keep momentum going” on the the task force’s recommendations.
“I’m excited for the city and excited to be working with Finner and Slinkard,” he said.
Other activists appeared slightly more cautious.
“I believe he has a chance to do better than Acevedo, but he’s been assistant chief under both McClelland and Acevedo, so I’m not sure there’s much room for improvement,” said Ashton Woods, founder of Black Lives Matter Houston.
Woods also expressed skepticism that Turner would follow through on his promises of reform.
“I believe Finner is going to be stymied by Turner, who is slow to implement any of the changes and reforms of the taskforce he put together last year,” he said. “So I’m going to take the waitand-see approach.”
“It’s time that everybody take some responsibility and everybody come together and stop throwing stones at one another.” Troy Finner, incoming HPD chief