ABC13 asks HPD to find out how 10K suspended reports per week are being reviewed

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- This week, ABC13 discovered Houston police have not reached out to the family of a murder victim whose case was suspended six years ago under the controversial code of suspending cases for lack of personnel. Despite police telling ABC13 they are prioritizing contacting victims of violent crimes as they review suspended incident reports.

Police told Eyewitness News they are able to review 10,000 reports a week. We've been pushing police to learn how they are able to thoroughly review 10,000 reports in a week and just how far they will go to find the victims.

"He was a very nice guy, a nice person, and he's one of the oldest brothers that helped his mom a lot, and she went through a lot," Marco Ramirez told ABC13 when we broke the news to him. His brother-in-law's cases were suspended and never investigated six years ago.

"They could have caught the person in the next two or three weeks because there were witnesses, there were people on the streets, there were cameras, security systems all the way around, and a gas station. A phone store. So many stores," Ramirez said.

Ramirez said they haven't heard from police in years, let alone after the news broke about the quarter million suspended cases. After an ABC13 report aired, police asked us how to get ahold of them. All ABC13 did was knock on the home address listed in the HPD incident reports.

Police told ABC13 that when a report is considered reviewed, it means the report has been read, and contact with a victim has been attempted.

Using the last number provided by police back in March, we are led to believe 100 officers are reviewing reports 7 days a week and have reviewed 107,000 reports. Our math shows that with no time off in the last two and a half months, each person is reviewing about 14 reports per day, the team is doing 1,400 a day, and the team is doing just under 10,000 in a week.

SEE ALSO: Family believes HPD could have caught loved one's killer in weeks, but case was suspended instead

Of the 107,000 reviewed cases, Eyewitness News asked police how many victims had successfully been contacted.

The pace at which reports are being revisited and how they are being reviewed is a system that new HPD's Acting Chief Larry Satterwhite said he'll review in his new role.

"It's my responsibility now to look even deeper into it. If there is a way I can help, if there is a better idea, I am open to everybody," Satterwhite said on Wednesday.

ABC13 asked police if someone changed their number or moved, what lengths will police go to get ahold of a victim? Police said if the information in the report doesn't connect them, the victim has the option to reach out to them.

Eyewitness News has also asked police multiple times for an update on how many people are reviewing cases, but we're told that information may be kept secret because the police don't give out operational and technical operation details.

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