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.”
Recent research published by the Center for Justice Research includes:
- Research Study on Young Black Male Gun Possession
- Police Reform Action Brief: Banning Chokeholds
- Officer-Involved Shootings
- An Examination of Racial Disparity in Police Hiring Practices
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.
Source: Texas Southern University
