POTEET, Texas – A scathing 29-page external review of the Poteet Police Department led city council members there to vote this week to terminate the agency’s police chief, lieutenant and sergeant.
The examination, completed this month by Clear Career Professionals, a Texas-based professional recruitment and services firm, revealed multiple instances of favoritism, resistance to oversight, transparency and an erosion of public trust within the small department, which is located approximately 40 miles south of downtown San Antonio.
City Administrator Melissa Popham said the terminated individuals include Police Chief Bruce Hickman, Lieutenant Noe Rodriguez and an unidentified sergeant.
While Popham did not name the personnel in a release on the personnel moves, the city’s website indicates Hickman was the city’s police chief and Rodriguez was the department’s lieutenant.
According to the city’s website, Hickman had served as police chief since 2015 and Rodriguez was promoted to lieutenant in 2016.
All three officers are now serving an administrative suspension, pending the completion of the city’s internal pre-disciplinary review process, Popham said.
Review found Poteet PD operating in isolation from city government
Among the notable findings from the external review: sensitive police administrative responsibilities had been delegated to the spouse of one of the department’s leaders.
These duties included criminal justice reporting, internal documentation and police operations, according to the review.
“These practices violate basic standards of professionalism, create legal and ethical risks, and severely weaken organizational credibility,” the report states.
The review also noted that the department has become resistant to oversight and transparency.
Requests for records including impound logs and policy documents were met with delays or incomplete responses, the review states.
“This further reinforces concerns about transparency, recordkeeping, and the department’s willingness to operate under oversight,” according to the report.
The review found the department often operating independent of city hall and that police leadership failed to demonstrate a commitment to align with city policies.
“The command structure of the Poteet Police Department is shaped more by personal loyalty and informal influence than by transparent, professional standards,” the report states.
Poteet PD officers reported that challenging leadership or not aligning with them socially could result in being retaliated against, according to the review.
The review also found the department stricken with inaccurate data reporting, unclear performance expectations, due process violations and jurisdictional overreach.
The review redacted the names and positions of members of the police department.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
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