Finner asserts decrease in violent crime in 2022: 'Safety and security of our city is paramount'

Houston Chief of Police Troy Finner declared on Wednesday that violent crime in Texas’ largest city decreased last year. 

A press release issued by the Houston Police Department (HPD) said that Finner provided members of the Houston City Council with a detailed crime summary report outlining the reduction.

According to HPD, the murder rate fell by 9% compared to 2021 while preliminary data revealed drops in robberies, aggravated assaults and rapes. 

The department said that last year was the fifth straight year in which officers made more than 20,000 felony rated arrests, with over 105,000 arrests recorded. 

“Safety and security of our city is paramount,” Finner said in the release.

Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that police acknowledged a rise in property crimes in 2022. 

HPD attributed an 11% jump in reported auto theft crimes to catalytic converter thefts and gun thefts from vehicles, the station reported. 

The department said that while crime-fighting efforts are working, more work needs to be done, per KPRC.

According to the release, the city sought to hire more officers last year, with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and city leaders announcing a new $10,000 hiring incentive for cadets. 

Sixty-one members of the first cadet graduation class of 2023 were the first to be awarded by the incentive, the release said. 

The report can be accessed by clicking here.