HPD's overtime master to resign

An HPD officer who earned more than $100,000 in overtime pay last year decided to resign from the force after the police department began an investigation into his overtime, HPD and police union officials said yesterday. William Lindsey Jr., 50, made news earlier this year for his pay — $170,000 last year, the highest of any officer — and for the fact that he had racked up an impressive number of reprimands in his 27 years with the force.

Lindsey's decision to retire came days after the HPD Internal Affairs Division asked him to respond to 91 written questions about his overtime pay. "Bill probably felt the diminishing appreciation from the department and just felt that it was time to leave," Bob Armbruster, a staff attorney for the union, told the Chronicle. And, hey, he should have enough money to retire on.

According to Chronicle reports, Lindsey earned his boatload of overtime money by helping catch suspected drunk drivers at night and testifying in court during the day. The complaints against him included verbally abusing citizens, refusing to report for duty and falsifying time sheets. Internal HPD investigators upheld 32 allegations against Lindsey out of 23 separate complaints; only 13 of HPD's 4,760 officers have had that many complaints upheld against them.

An HPD spokesman said Lindsey has filed retirement papers but has not left the force yet. The investigation into his pay will continue even after he leaves the department.