A former Parker Police Department sergeant has resigned while an outside investigation into his conduct continues, the department said Thursday.
The agency confirmed that Troy Brienzo, a onetime supervisor in the department, was placed on administrative leave on Jan. 7 and submitted his resignation last Friday. The matter has been handed off to an outside law enforcement agency, and Parker police say they are cooperating fully with that probe.
In a Facebook statement from the Parker Police Department, officials said Brienzo "is under investigation," and Chief Jim Tsurapas wrote that the allegations "run counter to the department's mission and tarnish the badge." The department added that it "will take swift action and ensure full accountability," but did not spell out what Brienzo is accused of doing.
Former Sergeant's Role at Parker PD
The department's publicly available Parker Police Department staff directory lists Brienzo as a sergeant, confirming his rank before he departed from the agency. Earlier department pages similarly showed him in supervisory and investigative roles.
Investigation and Next Steps
The same Facebook update from the Parker Police Department notes that Brienzo was placed on paid administrative leave on Jan. 7 and resigned last week. The department says it turned the case over to an outside law enforcement agency and "has fully cooperated" with investigators, but did not identify which agency is leading the probe or describe the nature of the allegations.
Context on Outside Probes and Transparency
Police departments often call in outside investigators when allegations involve their own officers, in an effort to avoid conflicts of interest and shore up public confidence in the results. In Colorado, growing scrutiny of internal affairs has been aided by changes to state transparency laws that have made many investigative records more accessible. Colorado Newsline has reported on how those reforms opened up internal investigations and intensified public oversight of police discipline.
So far, no criminal charges have been announced in connection with the Brienzo case, and the investigation is still active. Parker police have not released additional details and say they will share more information when they deem it appropriate.
