April 19, 2020
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
on the Front LIne WIth hPd’s troY FInner:
HOUSTON - As he has for the last 30 years, Troy Finner continues to “beat the streets” of Houston, and one thing is for certain, the executive assistant chief of the Houston Police Department has not been “beaten by the streets,” and is on a mission to help the city win the war of not only crime, but an unseen enemy that’s crept in. The veteran officer is taking it personal. “What people don’t realize is that I roll around this city by myself at all times of the day and night because I want to get a true picture of what’s out there,” Finner said. The class of ‘85 Madison High School graduate was born in Fifth Ward, but grew up in Houston’s Hiram Clarke area. One of six children of Leroy Finner Jr. and Nobia Finner, the father of five is known and respected -- not only for his no-nonsense approach to law enforcement, but for his giving
“I understand the pain of loss.”
spirit and genuine care for the people he meets. In one word - he’s “relatable.” Finner lost his oldest sister to Lupus in 2004, and two of his nephews to gun violence. “I understand the pain of loss. It helps me to understand what families go through,” he said. That’s part of the reason he is on the front line every day trying to ensure that Houstonians don’t experience anymore
COVID-19 AND THE BLACK COMMUNITY:
WHY ARE WE DYING?
-- potentially preventable -- deaths from the pandemic that has the entire world on standstill. “COVID-19 has put everybody on notice. God is trying to get everyone’s attention. No matter what neighborhood you live in, what race you are, what religion you are, it affects us all,” Finner said. Finner applauds the work of our local leaders who have been working around the clock, arm in arm, to keep everyone safe. “Let me commend Mayor Sylvester Turner, he’s been through so much with other crises. He’s not a rookie at this and is doing an outstanding job,” Finner said. “And Sheila Jackson Lee, as she always does, has stood up tremendously getting more testing sites.” But he’s most proud of the leaders he serves with every day. He calls them his “brothers.” “I am proud to serve with Chief Art Acevedo. Never underestimate his love for law enforcement and love for people,” Finner said. “And my colleague, Executive Assistant Chief Matt Slinkard, what a great partner. We are the two #2’s under the chief.” He praises the work of the other first responders on the front lines, while praying that conditions improve. “The most difficult thing for me is seeing our brave firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement and medical teams in need,” he shared. “It’s the worst feeling in the world when you know we don’t have enough PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] for our people in the field. They were trained to save lives, but now their lives are at risk. They’ve continued
HOUSTON - COVID-19. Coronavirus. Those two scary words have been in the headlines of every major and minor media outlet, with more than two million confirmed cases worldwide and more than 100,000 deaths. And here at home, data released shows that Black Americans are dying from the novel coronavirus at disproportionately high rates. “Health disparities have always existed for the African American community,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a recent White House press briefing. “Here again with the crisis, how it’s shining a bright light on how unacceptable that is because, yet again, when you have a situation like the coronavirus, they are suffering disproportionately.” Fauci also noted the health issues that are hampering African Americans. “The diabetes, hypertension, the obesity, the asthma — those are the kinds of things that wind them up in the ICU and ultimately give them a higher death rate.” Another obvious issue tied to health issues is lack of health coverage. Data shows 11% of Blacks are uninsured, against the national rate of 7% in 2017. Some Blacks don’t know they have these underlying issues because, with less access the health insurance, some conditions remain undiagnosed until it’s too late. Employment is also a key factor. Many blacks hold service jobs, such as grocery clerks, fast food employees, city workers and even bus drivers. Those jobs don’t provide the luxury of working from home, in alignment with the “social distancing” recommendations. These workers are put directly in the line of fire. Walmart made headlines after two of its employees from the same store died from related COVID-19 exposure, and some workers were crying out on social media, saying they felt pressured to report to work, and not allowed to wear masks. Detroit bus driver Jason Hargrove died from coronavirus just one week after releasing a video-- which went viral -- voicing concerns over a coughing passenger getting on the bus. “For us to get through this and get over this, y’all need to take this seriously,” he said on the video. “There’s folks dying out here.” Where a person lives is just as much of a concern as health care.
Cont’d on page 2
Cont’d on page 2
“sIt YoUr BUtts doWn!”
By: N.L. Preston
Vol. 25, Issue 13
WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY • AVOID PUBLIC SPACES OR EVENTS WITH MORE THAN 10 PATRONS • SANITIZE AND STOCK UP • AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH • PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE