Former VSO Lieutenant Decertified Following Internal Affairs Investigation

Date Added: November 03, 2022 12:59 pm

Andrew Gant, Office of
Public Affairs & Media Relations

FORMER LIEUTENANT DECERTIFIED FOLLOWING INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION

A former Volusia Sheriff’s Office lieutenant who resigned after an internal affairs investigation revealed his sexual harassment of several female colleagues surrendered his law enforcement certification Thursday in a settlement with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The settlement means Kyle Bainbridge will not have another opportunity to use a badge to make unwanted advances on women, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.

“The conduct we discovered in this investigation was a disgrace to our badge and a black mark on our organization,” Sheriff Chitwood said. “The only positive here is the lesson that harassment, abuse of authority and inattention to duty won’t be tolerated at the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.”

The internal affairs investigation into Bainbridge began in April 2021 after a subordinate deputy reported the then-lieutenant repeatedly sent her unwanted messages and sexual advances via social media and text. She also reported that Bainbridge used her automatic vehicle locator (AVL) data to track her down and speak to her in person.

Around the same time, it was learned the lieutenant made similar advances on an officer from another law enforcement agency in Volusia County. Over the course of the VSO investigation, at least 6 women working in a sworn or civilian capacity gave comparable accounts of his conduct. Several mentioned his reputation for similar behavior.

The investigation also revealed a pattern of Bainbridge failing to respond to significant calls for service. His own AVL data indicated he frequently was not on the east side of the county where he was the assigned watch commander. He was found to be spending many on-duty hours stationary at his or his girlfriend’s home. 

Bainbridge resigned while the investigation was underway. At its conclusion, Sheriff Chitwood determined the lieutenant had committed policy violations including leaving his assigned work area, inattention to duties, failure to follow general orders, harassment, sexual harassment and failure to comply with a direct order. 

“While I’m anything but proud of the behavior of our disgraced former watch commander, I couldn’t be prouder of everyone who spoke out,” Sheriff Chitwood said. “Their complaints were valid, and we took action. Today, the Sheriff’s Office and our profession as a whole are better off without a law enforcement officer who’s more interested in harassing women than doing his job."