Steven Hooper, a former officer with the Colorado River Department of Fish and Game, has lost his Arizona peace officer certification after admitting to masturbating in a workplace restroom and secretly recording his partner. The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board voted unanimously in February to revoke Hooper’s certification, cutting off his ability to serve as a sworn officer anywhere in the state. Hooper had already been fired by his agency after failing a routine reevaluation and later appeared virtually before the board to plead for leniency.
According to Phoenix New Times, Hooper told investigators during a polygraph that he masturbated in the workplace restroom "on several occasions" as "stress relief" and admitted to videotaping his girlfriend during sex without her knowledge or consent. After those disclosures surfaced, Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) staff recommended revocation, and the board signed off on that recommendation at its February meeting.
Board Hearing And Hooper’s Explanation
When Hooper addressed the board virtually, he delivered a roughly 10-minute monologue asking for a second chance and trying to explain his polygraph responses. He offered an unconventional definition of masturbation, claiming he believed the polygraph question referred only to doing anything in the bathroom other than urinating.
The board, however, made it clear the purpose of the hearing was to decide the sanction, not relitigate the conduct he had already admitted to. As Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels put it, the meeting was not the time "to rejudge the facts," according to Phoenix New Times.
How Arizona Law Treats Secret Recording
Arizona law prohibits secretly photographing or recording another person in a place where that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, and in many situations treats that conduct as a felony. A.R.S. 13-3019 defines surreptitious photographing and related offenses and makes it a crime to record or publish intimate images taken without consent. Arizona Revised Statutes §13-3019.
What Revocation Means
Revocation of an Arizona peace officer certification strips an individual of the legal credential required to work as a sworn law enforcement officer in the state. AZPOST regularly records suspensions, denials and revocations in its public integrity bulletins. The board’s stated mission is to protect the public and the integrity of the badge, which is why staff recommended revocation after Hooper’s polygraph admissions. AZPOST.
Legal Implications
Hooper’s admissions, especially his acknowledgment that he recorded a sexual encounter without the other person’s consent, could expose him to criminal prosecution under Arizona’s surreptitious recording and voyeurism statutes, as well as potential civil claims for invasion of privacy. It is not clear whether prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation; the revocation is an administrative sanction that blocks him from further sworn work in Arizona.
For now, Hooper’s certification remains revoked and his prospects of returning to a sworn role in Arizona appear remote. The case highlights the state board’s willingness to strip certifications when officer conduct crosses criminal and ethical lines, adding to a string of disciplinary actions AZPOST has cataloged in recent years. AZPOST.
