TSU’s Center for Justice Research Congratulates Newly Appointed Chief Finner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: CJR Communications (713) 313-4439 justice.research@tsu.edu

HOUSTON, March 24, 2021 – The Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University congratulates  Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner for his appointment as the city of Houston’s next Chief of Police.  The Center for Justice Research welcomes the opportunity for future partnerships in reducing racial  disparities and maintaining public safety across the Houston community.  

“Being located on the campus of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the heart of Houston affords our researchers at the Center for Justice Research the unique opportunity to serve as a trusted  resource for improving local police-community relations. We look forward to working closely with Chief  Finner, a native Houstonian, to create actionable solutions grounded in research that save lives, reduce  police brutality and promote equal justice throughout Houston’s criminal justice system,” said Dr. Howard  Henderson, director of the Center for Justice Research.  

In 2020, the Center for Justice Research formed its National Police Reform Advisory Group. The advisory  group is composed of national experts who have years of experience working in communities where  structural racism and disparate police-community relations have negatively impacted the life outcomes of  residents. The advisory group provides recommendations that will reshape the future of police reform by:

  • Assisting with the strategic research and program development in support of police reform
  • Serving as technical advisors on police reform efforts, research protocols and policy developments at the local, state and federal levels
  • Providing counsel to police leaders, mayors and other government officials in the name of criminal  justice reform

“In Houston specifically, youth gun violence is devastating families, communities, and neighborhoods, but  the first step in addressing the rise in violent crime is by identifying its root cause. We miss an opportunity  to make a difference if we don’t fully understand the motivations driving youths to pick up a weapon in the  first place,” continued Dr. Henderson. “This is where the Center for Justice Research can help. Researching  and developing culturally-responsive evidence-supported solutions that build better relationships is how we  can create true justice reform.”

Current research projects by the Center for Justice Research includes:

The Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University is available to advise on effective police  reform policies and practices with concrete steps that law enforcement can take to bridge the racial divide. Policy briefs, published reports, and research articles by the Center for Justice Research are made publicly  available on its website www.centerforjusticeresearch.org. Researchers at the Center for Justice Research can be reached at justice.research@tsu.edu or 713-313-6843.

About the Center for Justice Research

The Center for Justice Research is committed to creating justice reform-oriented solutions for the reduction  of mass incarceration by connecting and applying academic thought to practical challenges. As a university level research center, the Center for Justice Research provides a culturally responsive approach to mass  incarceration and to criminal justice reform. Our targeted research advances data-driven solutions by  supporting innovation, collecting committed reformers, compelling policy arguments and engendering broad  consensus amongst community stakeholders.

Barbara Jordan - Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs

The mission of the Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs is to serve as an urban-focused  community of learning dedicated to educating professionals who will plan and administer environmentally  healthy and sustainable communities at the local, state, national and international levels of society.

About Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University (TSU) is a student-centered, comprehensive doctoral university in the heart of  Houston’s historic Third Ward. Texas Southern’s academic and research curricula are committed to  ensuring equality, offering innovative programs that are responsive to its urban setting, and transforming  diverse students into lifelong learners, engaged citizens, and creative leaders in their local, national, and  global communities. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927.



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