HUMBLE, Texas – Humble Police Chief Dan Zientek has resigned effective immediately according to city leadership.
Zientek’s departure comes after the city brought in a third-party investigator to examine Zientek. The former chief had been on unpaid leave for nearly two months.
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2 Investigates Mario Diaz learned from City Manager Jason Stuebe Monday, Zientek has been replaced by Captain Kris Battenfield, a 20 year veteran of the department.
Zientek’s departures comes more than seven months after he was promoted to chief and in the aftermath of a critical survey conducted by the city into Zientek’s department.
In early December, Stuebe confirmed the department of nearly 100 employees had seen an exodus of nearly 30 officers in three years.
Initially Zientek was placed on paid leave. The city changed the status to unpaid leave after 2 Investigates started asking the city about a business that listed Zientek as the Chief Operating Officer. The privately owned business also offered courses out of the Humble Police Department headquarters according to images obtained off the site.
The city in its announcement makes no reference to Captain Twyla Kimbelin’s status after she was placed on paid leave last month.
Kimberlin and Zientek, according to city records 2 Investigates obtained through public information requests, logged the most amount of travel dollars over the last two years. Kimberlin who is the wife of the former chief was promoted two times under Zientek’s leadership.
Stuebe says the city, “anticipates conducting a comprehensive search for a permanent Chief in the coming weeks.”