Police officer in Texas suspended indefinitely for relationship with convicted prostitute
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
A 22-year police department veteran in San Antonio, Texas, has been suspended indefinitely because of a relationship with a convicted prostitute.
Officer Mark H. Walaski was taken off duty in July for “consorting with persons of ill repute,” the Houston Chronicle reported, citing police records.
“Officer Walaski's actions constitute a serious behavioral infraction which does not align with the ethical standards expected of every SAPD officer. As a result, he was issued an indefinite suspension,” the department said in a statement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The indefinite suspension is tantamount to being fired, LawOfficer.com reported.
Walaski is appealing his latest suspension through arbitration, his attorney, Ben Sifuentes, told San Antonio’s KSAT-TV.
“The chief's letter of suspension for Officer Walaski contains factual errors,” the attorney said in a statement. “We are confident this will be proven.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
According to the newspaper, Walaski met Tracy Helmke in July 2016, when she had an active warrant for a prostitution charge. The officer allowed Helmke to live at his home, and paid $530 to bail her out after she was arrested on prostitution charges.
The officer also was involved in a disturbance with the woman, and failed to report the matter to a police supervisor, the newspaper reported.
Walaski was previously suspended this year for discarding what appeared to be synthetic marijuana following a drug arrest, failing to activate his body camera during another arrest, and not completing proper reports for either incident, the newspaper reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
His suspension gave the department of some 2,100 officers a total of about 45 suspensions this year, the newspaper reported.