Houston Police senior officer William Lindsey Jr., 50, made $172,576
last year, almost $120,000 more than the base salary for the position and
more than the mayor. Lindsey earned the extra cash primarily from
overtime payments on a driving while intoxicated task force. A Houston
Chronicle investigation has revealed this week that Lindsey is not only
the highest paid officer, he’s also among the most reprimanded on the
force.
Only 13 out of 4,760 officers have had more than 23 complaints
sustained after an internal affairs investigation. Lindsey has had 32
sustained. The force will not reveal whether there have been other, less
serious disciplinary problems that did not enter the formal reprimand
process. Lindsey does have a number of supportive comments from members
of the public he has helped in his 27-year career.
“Lindsey could be one of the better witnesses,” Assistant U.S.
Attorney Jeff Vaden told the Chronicle about Lindsey’s status as a
“reliable” witness in drunk driving cases. “I knew he had some
disciplinary issues in the past, but it never to my knowledge posed any
problems with him testifying.”
In September 2002, for example, a man accused of jaywalking says
Lindsey threatened to kill him during an argument over the ticket.
Another officer broke up the altercation. In 1990 Lindsey was caught
submitting fraudulent overtime payment requests, a third-degree felony
for which he received a 15-day suspension.
Article Excerpt: OFFICER’S SUSPENSIONS
October 1983: One day for shopping while on duty and not following
department policy in disposing of narcotics evidence.
September 1987: One day for failing to respond to the dispatcher for
over an hour.
April 1990: Fifteen days for filing false overtime records.
November 1991: Ten days. While he was chasing suspects who were
fleeing, Lindsey discharged his firearm, striking one of the suspects in
the leg.
June 1995: Five days. Failed to fill out an incident report for a
vehicular accident.
April 1999: One day for dragging a handcuffed DWI suspect into a
videotaping room.
January 2001: Two days for refusing to appear in court after being
ordered to do so over the phone by a judge.
January 2002: One day. Failed to be available for duty.
February 2002: Two days. Failed to complete an incident report while
working an extra security job.
Source: Highest-paid HPD officer also racks up reprimands (Houston
Chronicle, 4/30/2006)
Source: http://www.thenewspaper.com/
