A former Mobile police sergeant who was fired earlier this year after an internal investigation found he misused department resources will not return to the force, following a decision from the Mobile County Personnel Board.
The board voted unanimously on Monday, December 1, to uphold the Mobile Police Department’s decision to terminate the sergeant, who had been dismissed in September after an internal administrative review concluded he used police databases and resources to obtain personal contact information for several women he was not investigating in any official capacity.
The ruling came after an appeal hearing held in mid-November, during which the former officer’s attorneys argued for his reinstatement. The Personnel Board, which oversees employment disputes involving Mobile County government and city employees covered under civil service rules, reviewed evidence presented by both the police department and the former sergeant before reaching its decision.
According to the internal findings that led to his firing, the sergeant used his access to law enforcement systems — tools meant for investigating crimes and maintaining public safety — to look up personal information on women unconnected to any case he was working. Department officials said the conduct violated multiple policies governing appropriate use of police resources and eroded the trust the department depends on with the community it serves.
Mobile Police Department leadership has said cases like this one are taken seriously precisely because access to sensitive personal data is a privilege granted to officers for public safety purposes, not a tool for personal use. Internal affairs investigations of this kind typically examine an officer’s search history within law enforcement databases, comparing it against active case assignments to identify searches that fall outside the scope of legitimate police work.
The Personnel Board’s decision effectively closes the door on the former sergeant’s bid to be reinstated to the department, though additional avenues of appeal through the county or state court system may still be available to him under civil service procedures.
The case is one of several in recent years involving Mobile-area law enforcement personnel accused of misusing official resources, prompting renewed attention from city leaders and department brass on internal audit procedures designed to catch improper database access before it escalates. Officials have pointed to strengthened internal audit protocols as part of an ongoing effort to hold officers accountable and preserve public confidence in the department.