hail to the new chief

Mayor Sylvester Turner introduces Houston's newest police chief

Troy Finner is Houston's new top cop.

Troy Finner is Houston’s new police chief, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced on Thursday, March 18. Finner and his family were present and were met with applause at the afternoon press conference.

Chief Art Acevedo is in charge until Houston city council approves Finner — as early as March 24, Turner noted. Finner is currently an executive assistant chief for the department.

“He has earned the trust of people in every corner of our diverse community,” said Turner, “ adding that Finner is “a straight shooter” and “loves the department and the people” of the city.

“He’s not just from Houston, he is Houston,” Turner declared of the man who hails from Fifth Ward,and attended Sam Houston State and University of Houston. “Chief Troy Finner will do everything in their power to reduce crime across Houston.”

In his acceptance, Finner thanked God and the mayor, adding that he was “humble” and “honored” to accept the role and then thanked the “rank and file” officers for their support, as well as departing chief Art Acevedo.

Finner added that he and Matt Slinkard, another candidate, pledged to stay and “build the city” no matter who was promoted. Turner later joked that the promotion-from-within news was “a secret” and he had “no idea” how the two heard of his plans. (He also joked that he was going to enter the press conference wearing a police uniform, announcing himself as chief.)

Slinkard, a dear and close friend of Finner, pledged to support the new chief, saying that he considers him “as my own flesh and blood.”

Houston’s newest chief inherits a police force of more than 5,200 officers and a 671-square-mile jurisdiction. He noted that his top two priorities are reducing violent crime and homicides in Houston, as well as dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re moving forward, as a city,” Finner said.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”