More than 20 Dallas Vice Unit officers will face disciplinary action following a three-year investigation into the mishandling of cash and evidence from gambling operations, the Dallas Police Department announced Tuesday.
The department released a statement saying discipline for the crimes will range from written reprimands to suspension without pay, according to the violation committed. None of the officers will face criminal charges.
“Ethics and integrity define who we are as a police department,” Police Chief Reneé Hall said. “We must always operate with the highest level of integrity to ensure that we maintain trust and strong relationships with the residents we serve.”
Investigators said they found inconsistencies in accounting and a failure to process evidence, in addition to a policy violation.
“Members of this unit admitted to replacing confidential funds with gambling winnings and failed to place evidentiary or seized money and/or property into the property room, per departmental policy,” the statement said.
Investigators were not able to identify how the officers accounted for private funds and gambling money “due to poor, or lack of any documentation.”
In a June 2019 executive briefing, Chief Hall cited “improper or inadequate training” and “a failure in supervision” as contributing factors that led to the officer’s violations.
The Vice Unit was disbanded in November 2017 and revamped with an entirely new unit of officers. The unit was designed to reduce crimes like gambling and prostitution. Detectives in the Vice Unit are often involved in undercover operations to expose businesses suspected of gambling and prostitution.
Read the June 2019 executive briefing below.
