A Pasadena police sergeant has resigned from the department while he remained under an active internal investigation, according to the Pasadena Police Department.
PASADENA, Texas – A Pasadena police sergeant has resigned from the department while he remained under an active internal investigation, according to the Pasadena Police Department.
The resignation comes as a Pasadena city council member exclusively told KPRC 2 that the sergeant was being investigated for allegedly misusing the department’s Flock Safety license plate reader camera system to track a fellow officer.
For months, KPRC 2 has been looking into allegations surrounding Sgt. Michael Palitz after receiving information about an internal investigation. As part of that reporting, KPRC 2 requested Palitz’s personnel records, receiving a heavily redacted file, and continued pressing city officials for answers.
During a Pasadena Civil Service Commission meeting in June, KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun spoke with Police Chief M.P. Jackson about the ongoing case after encountering him at the meeting.
When asked whether Palitz had been suspended after KPRC 2 submitted public information requests, Jackson said, “I don’t think the two are connected,” but declined to discuss the pending investigation.
“I can’t really discuss pending cases,” Jackson said.
When asked if there was anything else he could share, Jackson responded, “No, sir.”
Council member details allegations
Pasadena City Council Member Emmanuel Guerrero told KPRC 2 he believes the investigation centered on allegations that Palitz improperly accessed the city’s Flock camera system to monitor another officer.
“Based on what we gathered, [he] was using our camera system, our Flock system, to track and stalk a female officer,” Guerrero said.
When asked to clarify whether he was alleging Palitz was under investigation for misusing the Flock camera system and stalking a fellow officer, Guerrero responded, “correct.”
Guerrero said his understanding is that the system itself flagged repeated use of the account.
“To my understanding, it was an overwhelming use that the system itself flagged and notified that account associated to the officer,” Guerrero said.
KPRC 2 has not independently verified the specific allegations discussed by Guerrero, and Pasadena police have not publicly released details of the investigation.
Department confirms resignation while investigation continues
In a statement to KPRC 2, Pasadena Police Sergeant April Ontiveros, with the Administration & Media Relations Unit, confirmed Palitz resigned while the investigation remained active.
“Yes, he resigned while under investigation,” the statement said. “Regardless of his employment status, our investigation will continue in accordance with legal requirements until it reaches its conclusion. Additionally, our department does not release information on open/active personnel investigations to protect the integrity of the investigation.”
Palitz’s resignation does not end the department’s internal investigation, according to the department.
Questions about use of surveillance technology
Flock Safety describes its cameras as investigative tools designed to identify vehicles, not people.
According to the company:
“A Flock camera is a license plate reader camera built to identify vehicle details that may help generate investigative leads. That includes the license plate, along with attributes like make, model, color, and other visible characteristics. Flock cameras are not general-purpose surveillance systems designed to identify people. They are built to focus on the vehicle involved in an incident and the details that can help distinguish it from other vehicles on the road.”
Guerrero, who said he supported implementing the Flock system, said the allegations concern him because of the trust residents place in law enforcement.
“The people put their confidence in us to utilize systems that could support and protect the way of life, and to use it against certain individuals is a betrayal of our community’s trust,” Guerrero said.
KPRC 2 is not aware of any open criminal investigation or whether any case has been presented to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
KPRC 2 sought responses from city leaders
KPRC 2 reached out to Sgt. Michael Palitz on Friday seeking comment regarding his resignation and the allegations surrounding the investigation. As of publication, he had not responded.
KPRC 2 also emailed Mayor Thomas Schoenbein and city council members Bianca Valerio, Emmanuel Guerrero, Pat Van Houte, Jonathan Estrada and Dolan Dow seeking comment because they served on the city council in 2025 when Palitz was suspended and later returned to duty.
Council Member Pat Van Houte was the only person, other than Guerrero, to respond.
“I had not heard about this. The last I heard was two days ago, and Sgt. Palitz was still an employee at that time. I am not in a position to have the details as to why the sergeant resigned. I checked with the Mayor and he said your best contact would be Police Chief M.P. Jackson.”
