SAN ANTONIO -- The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement has recommended criminal charges and a 90-day license suspension for Northside ISD Police Chief Charles Carnes, after an investigation earlier this year determined Carnes falsely claimed his department was exempt from submitting racial profiling reports.
The scathing 21-page TCOLE report, released to the KENS 5 I-Team this week following a Texas Attorney General's ruling, indicates Carnes listed NISD as exempt from submitting the reports from 2013-2015, even as his officers issued hundreds of traffic citations each year.
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The investigator's report indicates Carnes' electronic signature appearing on the forms constitutes tampering with a governmental record, a 3rd degree felony.
The investigator also recommended Carnes' peace officer license be suspended up to 90 days.
A TCOLE spokeswoman told the I-Team Friday possible criminal charges and the license suspension are still pending.
The Bexar County District Attorney's Office said Thursday it had yet to receive a case, but if or when it did, it would be handled by its Special Crimes division.
A July 2013 email outlining Carnes' responsibility to submit the reports, was sent to an incorrect email address and never made it to the district.
However, Carnes, when interrogated by state investigators in May, told them he remembered being instructed by TCOLE in 2013 on how to properly submit the reports, before blaming the lapses on a former sergeant.
Carnes remained on-duty Friday, according to an NISD spokesperson, who said the district was waiting to receive its own copy of an amended report from TCOLE.
In a statement released Friday afternoon, a district spokesman slammed TCOLE for the email error, and for releasing the report to the media before sending a copy to NISD:
NISD nor its Chief of Police is in receipt of any investigative report from TCOLE and therefore commenting on it would be inappropriate. However, it is highly irresponsible that TCOLE released this case information to a reporter without advising the school district first.
Late Friday afternoon, TCOLE responded that NISD did not receive a copy of the report because they never requested one.
Records provided by the City of San Antonio to TCOLE for its investigation indicate NISD officers issued 952 citations from 2013-2015, not including citations heard in J.P. courts.
NISD's Police Department has 97 licensed peace officers, according to the TCOLE report.
