HPD Kingwood sergeant suspended for abuse of taxpayers’ TIRZ funds

COOPER COOPER Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close HPD Kingwood sergeant suspended for abuse of taxpayers’ TIRZ funds 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A year has passed since Houston Police Department Kingwood tactical officers drew overtime pay for attending a private benefit for a cancer-stricken colleague at the Lake Houston Marina on May 22, 2011. Twelve months later, The Observer finally managed to pry the last of the public documents pertaining to the subsequent HPD Internal Affairs investigation from the city’s protective clutches.

The investigation concluded that department policy was violated when HPD Kingwood Division Sgt. Ernest Cooper wrongly authorized $2,687.42 in overtime pay funded through Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) monies. TIRZ funds are taxes generated by Kingwood, for Kingwood.

“Investigation revealed that [...] Sergeant Cooper failed to use sound discretionary judgment, as required, when he scheduled the seven-member Divisional Tactical Unit (DTU), to report to a non-departmental function while in an overtime capacity [...],” HPD Chief of Police Charles McClelland wrote in a disciplinary letter. The letter goes on to say that Cooper himself as well as the tactical officers were in uniform while attending the function.

“The original intent was to provide a police presence and to assist with loading/unloading bulky items contributed for a fund raising event, as well as to maintain security of any money from the event,” the disciplinary letter states. “Further investigation also found that Sergeant Cooper failed to fulfill his supervisory responsibilities, as required, regarding the scheduling of the DTU officers and their assignments, when he did not provide sufficient oversight of the time spent at the function, which resulted in an unnecessary delay in a number of the officers completing other patrol and ‘hot spot’ checks as part of their usual DTU assignments.”

Cooper was held to be the lone responsible party in the investigation. He was cited for violating the rules of the Civil Service Commission in addition to HPD General Orders on Conduct and Authority.

In February, McClelland ordered a two-day temporary suspension for Cooper. After a 28-year tenure, he handed in his retirement and left the department earlier this month.

The city’s file on Cooper shows he was no stranger to written reprimands. In 1989, he received a two-day temporary suspension for working extra jobs without approval, violating department rules and regulations during an off-duty arrest, and using poor judgment and abusive conduct when forcing a citizen off the road with his personal vehicle. In 2002, he was ordered to take a defensive driving course after he was found to have caused an accident with a civilian.

Unlike Cooper, former division Captain Bryan Bennett was not found at fault in connection with the abuse of overtime funds, according to HPD Internal Affairs records, but suddenly transferred from the HPD Kingwood Division in October, two months after Internal Affairs launched its investigation in response to an anonymous letter sent to city officials and media outlets. HPD officials said at the time that Bennett, who had spent approximately two years in Kingwood, was re-assigned to Special Operations as part of a routine “4-way rotation” among command staff in various divisions across the city.

HPD officials say the department will reimburse TIRZ for the full amount of overtime monies spent at the private benefit in Huffman last year.