One of the Tucson police officers terminated for his alleged involvement with a prostitution ring has been reinstated after the Civil Service Commission reversed the Police Departmentβs decision.
Officer Vincent Valenzuela was fired in early August after police found evidence of felony computer tampering discovered during the prostitution probe, records show.
After his termination, Valenzuela filed a petition to get his job back with the citizen board that reviews appeals by city employees.
On Friday, the commission granted Valenzuelaβs appeal of termination and reinstated him with a 40-hour suspension, said Lane Mandle, a city of Tucson spokeswoman.
No additional details about the boardβs decision were available, as the hearing was held in executive session and the minutes arenβt available for public review, Mandle said.
More than six months ago, the results of the departmentβs criminal investigation into Valenzuela were turned over to the Pima County Attorneyβs Office. In May, the office sent police a letter declining to file any charges, said Tucson Police Department attorney Lisa Judge.
The department has not provided details of Valenzuelaβs alleged involvement, except to say that he was never investigated as a customer of the massage parlors.
Police Chief Roberto VillaseΓ±or announced in July that five department employees had been terminated for their involvement with the massage parlors. Valenzuelaβs termination was not revealed by police until October.
Police records from the investigation into the businesses, By Spanish and Daisyβs Delights, found that Valenzuela was associated with the alleged operator. The report cites a βpersonalβ relationship with the woman.
One of the other fired officers, Martin Walker, also appealed his termination, but the commission ruled in November to uphold the departmentβs decision.
Walker was found to have been either a customer of the business or to have had knowledge of its existence and other officersβ potential involvement, records say.
The County Attorneyβs Office also declined to file criminal charges against Walker and the other four TPD employees who were terminated. The office cited a lack of evidence in a letter dated Sept. 11.
Police began investigating the massage parlors almost four years ago.
No arrests have been made and none of the operators have been charged. A dozen properties were raided in January, and hundreds of pieces of evidence of alleged prostitution and money-laundering were seized.
From 2010 to 2014, 24 Tucson police employees were terminated and only one was reinstated, although not all employees appeal their terminations.
