Questions: Cops & Sex

By Gregg Wendorf
Advance News Journal

The following letter came to my email inbox last week written by someone unknown to me; but it was nevertheless intriguing. A cop engaging in sexual relations with a subordinate, while on duty, in the parking lot of the PD, while in uniform.

What could possibly go wrong with that?

Turns out, checking around with the cops I know, this particular officer has a reputation for the allegations laid out in the email. Around the PD, apparently it’s no big secret. No one has been charged with any impropriety, no lawsuits filed, so I can’t name the cop, but I still want to publish the letter.

The people with this particular city, some, and certainly many in the PD will know who is the focus of this email, so maybe it will lead somewhere — retirement — who knows.

Here is the email in all its gory glory, with the names redacted.

The Down and Dirty

(Male officer’s name redacted) was placed on administrative leave (last year) due to an undocumented incident involving him and a civilian employee, identified as (female name redacted).

(The officer) was reported to the police chief and then (one of his lieutenants) for having a sexual relationship during the course of duty and in his assigned take-home vehicle.

As per the witness, the act of (oral sex) took place in broad daylight at the (PD). The witness identified the vehicle as a take-home police vehicle and proceeded to report the incident, hoping that the proper actions would be taken for such obscenely offensive behavior.

As per the police department’s Policy and Procedures:

Supervisors who ignore or fail to take appropriate action to eliminate any form of harassment that occurs in their presence or comes to their attention are subject to administrative investigation and possible disciplinary actions.

Do (the chief and his assistant) not have to abide by the Policy and Procedures they have to uphold and mandate others to follow? Where is their rightful discipline?

There are multiple problems with this incident. For instance: had two civilian employees been put in the same position, both of those individuals would be charged with Public Lewdness. Their charges would be a Class A Misdemeanor Offense as per the Texas Penal Code, under Title 5: Offenses Against the Person, Chapter 21: Sexual Offenses, Section 21.07.

However, this incident did not involve two civilians. On the contrary, this incident involved a Texas Peace Officer. His involvement, while in the scope of his duty, is classified as a more heinous crime.

(The officer), as a public servant, subjected (female city employee’s name redacted for the purpose of this column) to sexual acts while on duty.

There is a deprivation of freedom and rights when it comes to a public servant making sexual advances towards civilians. Was (the female employee) victimized or oppressed? Was she allowed to give her statement? Was (the officer’s) sexual gratification condoned by (the police chief?)

As per the Texas Penal Code, Title 5, Chapter 21, Section 39.03 (a)(3):

A public servant acting under color of his office or employment commits an offense if he: intentionally subjects another to sexual harassment. In this section, “sexual harassment” means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, submission to which is made a term or condition of a person’s exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power, or immunity, either explicitly or implicitly.

This is not (the officer’s) first time depriving a civilian employee of their rights. (He) had a year-long sexual relationship with his subordinate (name redacted). She left her employment suspiciously at the same time as (when the officer was put on leave of absence). Was she also victimized? This, too, was undocumented.

Lastly, a reported account of (the officer’s) repetitive explicit behavior is documented with (another woman) while on duty. His actions led to no disciplinary actions. However, (the woman) paid the ultimate price, because she was fired from the PD.

The story of events that lead to more civilian employees victimized by this officer, (a supervisor), his pattern of (alleged) uncontrolled sexual misconduct while on duty, goes on and on. Until what end? When will he face any real consequences (like job loss)?

So Now What?

Each police chief has his or her own style of leadership. With some, there is zero tolerance for the sort of behavior reported in this email, if it’s entirely accurate, no disrespect intended to the person who sent it.

If this seasoned cop named in the email I received was working for other police agencies that come to mind, he would have been toast years ago.

In fact, rumors about this senior officer have been floating around for years, but because cops’ bad behavior can be shielded from the public, provided they aren’t terminated, for example, their bad behavior can continue if there is never a police chief in office with enough backbone to end his career, at least based on a lack of moral turpitude.

Based on the seasoned cops I’ve spoken to, this guy has been bad news for years, a known skirt-chaser in and around city property who has impregnated multiple women. Yet, he remains on the force.

Oral sex inside a take-home police unit, in the PD parking lot, during daylight hours, seen by at least one witness? And the one providing the so-called service is a city employee?

Why is this guy still on the force, if indeed the allegations laid out in this email are true?

Let’s see what kind of buzz this column can generate. Maybe it will embarrass his police chief, the PD where he works, who knows. Because even though the names have been redacted, there are plenty of people around this particular local PD (in Hidalgo County) who know the name of the players, so to speak, and allegedly, this isn’t this cop’s first rodeo inside a police unit.

“Clean the whole thing this time. Inside and out.”