Cedar Park Hires Outside Reviewer To Probe Police Policies, Procedures

CEDAR PARK, TX — Cedar Park City Council on Thursday authorized the city manager to hire an outside firm to conduct an independent review of police policies and procedures as they relate to criminal investigations.

The city will hire Hillard Heintze for the independent review. It's to be conducted on the heels of the Greg Kelley case that saw the man's arrest on a sexual assault of a child charge for which he was serving 25 years in prison before a judge determined his due process rights had been violated. Citing the flawed investigation, Kelly, upon his release, called for the firing of Cedar Park Police Chief Sean Mannix and Sgt Chris Dailey — a call echoed by his many supporters.

The decision to hire the firm was unanimous. Mannix issued a statement after the council's decision: “I, and the Cedar Park Police Department, look forward to engaging with Hillard Heintze as they conduct an independent review of our policies, protocols and procedures related to criminal investigations. As a progressive police organization we believe there is value whenever we can get input or suggestions for improvement from experts in the field.”

The case against Kelley drew criticism from several quarters, including State District Judge Donna King who pointed out some of the investigation's shortcomings. For one thing, Detective Chris Daily failed to corroborate information from the victim and did not interview another suspect in the case. She later granted bond to Kelley — effecting his release from prison — after finding the flaws in the case.

Johnathan McCarty, currently in jail on unrelated charges, has since emerged as a suspect in the case along with a third person yet unnamed.

Related stories:

Williamson County DA Reopens Greg Kelley Sex Assault Case, New Suspect Named

Cedar Park Police Department Under Scrutiny After Botched Greg Kelley Case

Chicago-based, Hillard Heintzedescribes itself on its website this way: "Our risk management leadership firm attracts and retains some of the brightest, most experienced and most highly regarded professionals working in investigations, security and law enforcement advisory today."

The company lists numerous case studies of its work on their website, including one instance where it uncovered the source of negative social media posts against a private university "...including his name, geographical location, address and professional history," officials said. In another case, the company helped a pharmaceutical manufacturer solve the mystery of financial losses due to fake invoices for products never delivered.

In a May press release, the company announced that the Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protective Division (PPD) Michael White was joining the executive leadership team. Formerly the head of President Obama's U.S. Secret Service Protective Detail, White retired from the role after a 26-year career.

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>>> Photo of Cedar Park Police Chief Sean Mannix via City of Cedar Park