Fired Tucson Officer’s Appeal Rejected in Illegal Records Scandal

The Tucson Civil Service Commission has upheld the termination of Randy Quinn, a former police officer fired for unauthorized use of the law enforcement database, documents reveal.

Quinn, who joined the Tucson Police Department in 2007, was dismissed in December after an internal investigation found he conducted unauthorized “curiosity” checks, a felony offense, using department resources.

A woman filed a complaint in March 2016, alleging Quinn was accessing records on individuals visiting her home. The woman, an ex-wife of University of Arizona police sergeant Andre Lyko, claimed Quinn was acting on Lyko’s instructions.

The probe discovered Quinn conducted a records check on a male visitor of the said woman on August 27, 2015, while he was officially assigned to a traffic-control duty. His phone records indicated a call with Lyko during the time of the check.

The man in question reported his car being vandalized around the same time, which fueled suspicions against Lyko, according to the woman.

Quinn initially denied specific recollections but later admitted to possibly running the checks after consulting his attorney. He justified his actions by claiming they were part of his effort to meet departmental “ticket-a-day” expectations, although he referred to it as an unsuccessful tactic.

The investigation concluded that Quinn’s actions violated six police department policies, including the prohibition of criminal conduct and untruthfulness.

Due to the Garrity Warning, which protects officers’ statements from being used in criminal prosecution, the Pima County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute Quinn, citing insufficient evidence, according to Deputy County Attorney Kellie Johnson.

Lyko remains employed with the University of Arizona Police Department, which declined further comments.

Contact reporter Caitlin Schmidt at cschmidt@tucson.com or 573-4191. Twitter: @caitlinschmidt