Former TPD spokeswoman Maria Hawke fired - Western Mass News - WGGB/WSHM

The former face of the Tucson Police Department has been terminated.

Tucson News Now has confirmed that Maria Hawke, who recently had been promoted to Lieutenant, lost her job on April 9. 

Sgt. Pete Dugan tells Tucson News Now that Hawke, who had served as a public information officer, was terminated after an "investigation of untruthfulness."

Hawke has worked at the Tucson Police Department for more than a decade.

Internal affairs documents Tucson News Now has obtained indicate Hawke had been disciplined on several occasions in the past.

Documents indicate Hawke got serious written reprimand in February, 2002 after an incident involving a dispute with her property manager over money owed.  Internal affairs documents state Hawke, who was known as Officer Cabrera at the time was "banging her badge on the window of the office area of the rental office saying, go ahead and call the police, I am the police."

Documents indicate the investigating officer came to a conclusion that Hawke had acted unprofessionally and not within the scope and discretion of her authority.

Internal affairs documents indicate Hawke was suspended for five days in June, 2003 for a DUI arrest involving a minor traffic accident while she was off duty, in her personal vehicle. 

Reports state that an officer "observed signs and symptoms of impairment such as moderate to strong odor of an alcoholic breath, bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech and swaying."  Breath tests indicated results of .135 and .132.

Hawke was also issued a written reprimand in 2008 for "entrusting a friend with her police ID card" which was later lost, and returned to the police department by a citizen.  An investigation found Hawke to be in violation of general orders that state "Members shall not damage, abuse or lose any Departmental property entrusted to them. Some items are so sensitive that their loss or theft poses a serious risk to the community.  Items such as firearms, identification cards, key cards, badges and radios require a greater degree of care."

The internal affairs documents regarding Hawke's recent termination have not been released yet.

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