Texas Ranger on independent panel reviewing HPD puts impartiality into question, expert says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's a promise city leaders have made from the start.
"I want to be as transparent as we can," Houston Police Department's Chief Troy Finner said at a March 7 press conference.
"We will let them know when and where and who had access to this suspension going back to 2016 when it first appeared," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said.
Accuracy and transparency for victims and the public. To ensure that happens, Whitmire announced a five-person independent panel that will review HPD's investigation into over a quarter million suspended incident reports.
Your panel members are former councilwoman and state Rep. Ellen Cohen, current Texas Ranger Jeff Owles, city attorney Arturo Michel, Houston deputy inspector general overseeing police reform and accountability Christina Nowak, and reverend and Harris County Sheriff's Chaplin Leon Preston.
With so many ties to the city and law enforcement, Eyewitness News wanted to ask the members if they felt they could be impartial while reviewing the work of their city colleagues.
ABC13 reached out to the Texas Rangers to get in touch with Owles but never heard back.
Rev. Preston referred to a statement, but it was never received.
The mayor's office said they are asking Nowak and Michel not to speak with journalists.
The only panel member speaking so far has been Cohen when it was announced she would serve on the panel as the lead.
"I think the panel really represents a cross-section of the city, and I know we're going to get started. We've actually done some things already," Cohen said.
University of Houston-Clear Lake criminology professor Kimberly Dodson isn't on Whitmire's panel, an omission she may not regret.
"I would be thrilled to serve on the committee, but not a five-person committee," Dodson said.
Dodson worked on independent panels looking at police agencies outside of Texas. She said the smallest group had 12 people.
"I think it's important for a citizen's review committee to be diverse, inclusive, and representative of the communities that they serve to ensure there's a broad range of perspectives and experiences taken into account," Dodson explained.
She said when she saw Whitmire's announcement, she worried about the committee's size, bias, and the amount of power it has.
Dodson said having a current law enforcement member is troubling because officers all know each other. She also said having the city attorney on the panel could be an issue.
"They're not unbiased because I think their position would be to always protect the city," Dodson explained.
Another worry is what the panel can do. ABC13 asked Whitmire if they'll be able to subpoena and depose people or do computer audits.
"This is not a criminal investigation," Whitmire said. "This is a data collection, a revealing of the information that the public is entitled to."
Dodson said that without those things, the panel may struggle for information.
"I think that's disappointing because I do think they need that power to appropriately investigate what is happening," Dodson explained.
When Eyewitness News asked Whitmire's office about these concerns, a spokesperson sent the following statement:
"It is important to note that as the mayor said, this is not a criminal investigation. The panel is comprised of credible and well-regarded individuals with vast experiences and diverse backgrounds. They will review HPD's work and outcomes and are responsible to the mayor and public for providing answers and accountability."
