Police Officer Fired For Alleged Inappropriate Relationship With Teen

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen fired Sgt. Miguel Lucero Friday morning after Lucero was accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old female student at an area high school where he was employed in an off-duty capacity.

The allegations were received by the El Paso Police Department in mid-September of this year. The department suspended Sgt. Lucero’s ability to work in an off-duty capacity immediately pending the outcome of the investigations.

Lucero worked as an off-duty Security Officer for the Ysleta Independent School District on an as-needed basis since 2001. Lucero worked primarily at Riverside High School, according to district officials. Lucero has not worked for YISD since the end of Sept. 2010 and YISD stopped utilizing the services of Lucero at the direction of the El Paso Police, according to district officials.

There has been no outcry made by students or parents to campus administration or district officials regarding Lucero, district officials said.

According to police officials, in early November, the allegations appeared to be credible at which time Lucero was placed on administrative duty. The administrative investigation concluded and established that Lucero had engaged in an inappropriate relationship, police officials said.

During a news conference Friday morning, El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen had stern words for members of his department.

“They should know better simply as adults, and their responsibilities to the public as police officers,” he said.

The Police Department’s Special Investigations Group is currently conducting a criminal investigation into these allegations.

“I want to reassure the public that the El Paso police department will always take matters such as this very seriously and take the appropriate action,” Chief Allen said.