A Kissimmee deputy police chief who decided to retire last month was facing termination for making a homophobic remark about a female officer seeking a promotion, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.
And it wasn’t the first time Camille Alicea, considered a trailblazer among Hispanics in Central Florida’s law enforcement community, was accused of making homophobic comments. But records provided to the Sentinel this week in response to a public records request offer no indication she was previously investigated or disciplined for allegedly doing so.
That changed earlier this year, after Alicea was accused of suggesting a fellow officer was being promoted “because she is a lesbian female.” Alicea was suspended, and an investigation corroborated the accusation.
In a Sept. 9 memo, Chief Betty Holland wrote, “I have determined it is impossible for Deputy Chief Alicea to fulfill the role of a deputy chief and that her actions affected the good order of the Kissimmee Police Department. I have made the decision to terminate her employment with the City of Kissimmee.”