SIERRA VISTA COP’S CERTIFICATION REVOKED BY STATE BOARD
SV Police Chief addresses AZ P.O.S.T Board -
Officer blames ex-wife for investigation -
PHOENIX - The on-duty and off-duty conduct of Sierra Vista police officer Alexander Roy has resulted in the revocation of his certification to serve as a police officer in Arizona. This morning’s decision by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) board in Phoenix came a year after the City of Sierra Vista tried to fire the longtime officer following internal and criminal investigations.
The investigations of Roy were prompted by complaints about his conduct made by the mother of 14 year old girl. At the conclusion of the investigations, the City of Sierra Vista fired Roy last October but he was later reinstated following a civil service hearing.
Although Roy was reinstated, state law holds that a decision by a municipality “does not preclude action by the (AZPOST) Board to deny, cancel, suspend or revoke the certified status of a peace officer.”
During the Board’s April meeting, they voted to initiate proceedings against Roy for possible violation of AZPOST rules under Title 13 of the Arizona Administrative Code. In such cases, the board may take action in situations involving acts of malfeasance, misfeasance, or any “pattern of conduct” that jeopardizes “public trust in the law enforcement profession.”
Sierra Vista police chief Adam Thrasher addressed the board during today's meeting. He was the deputy chief during the Roy investigations and was one of several command staff who recommended the termination, writing at the time that Roy “does not possess the decision making skills to be employed” as a police officer.
Thrasher advised that since the Board's initial vote in April, Roy has been receiving patrol officer pay, even though he was pulled from patrol duty and reassigned to the department’s communication bureau.
Roy also appeared at today’s meeting. He was represented by attorney Michelle Mozdzen who was there in place of Roy’s regular attorney Michael Storie. Storie was unable to attend the meeting as he was in a Tucson courtroom with another client -former Tucson firefighter David Dwayne Watson - who is currently on trial for three charges of first degree murder.
The Board was previously provided a report by AZPOST compliance specialist Lori Tallerday which noted Roy visited the girl alone “at her residence on several occasions while on-duty” and let the girl ride in his patrol car “without notifying dispatch” or supervisors. Tallerday also noted that from 2012-2015 Roy was found to have violated at least five other department policies unrelated to the issue with the teen.
One of those violations involved Roy’s use of the department’s computer to access government databases for information on his estranged wife and her mother, which a supervisor noted at the time could have led to a felony charge if Roy’s action had been referred to the county attorney.
On Monday, Storie sent a memo to AZPOST suggesting that the only reason the girl’s mother filed a complaint in the first place was due to her “alliance with Alex’s ex-wife in an effort to improve (the ex-wife’s) standing in the custody case involving Alex’s children.” And Storie reminded the Board that the investigations failed to substantiate an inappropriate relationship with the teen.
Storie also argued that Roy “did not commit any of the policy violations listed in the POST Complaint” because SVPD had no policies specifically prohibiting those actions. Therefore, he asked that the Board “reconsider taking action" on Roy's certification.
After a failed vote to only suspend Roy’s certification, the Board voted 4-2 in favor of revocation. Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, whose agency handled the criminal investigation of Roy, recused himself from the discussion and vote.
Under AZPOST policy, Roy’s revocation becomes effective immediately although he can file a motion to have the Board reconsider its decision. He can also appeal the revocation to the Superior Court in situations of alleged Board misconduct in the handling of his case.
AZPOST originally certified Roy as a full authority peace officer in 2008 when he was hired by the Phoenix Police Dept. He left that agency after less than a year of service when he was hired by Sierra Vista in March 2009.
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Contact reporter Terri Jo Neff at 520-508-3660 and cjw_media@yahoo.com
