He admired the younger officer's aggressive patrol style.
And he occasionally recommended Cole for approved off-duty security work.
Investigators examined those assignments.
The records showed that Cole had received payments for legitimate work at several private events.
That alone wasn't misconduct.
Police departments often permit certain outside employment subject to rules and approvals.
But investigators also found informal communications concerning CrestWatch properties.
In some messages, Dorsey praised Cole for being willing to deal with residents who challenged neighborhood security personnel.
In another, he referred to Cole as someone who wouldn't let difficult homeowners dictate the encounter.
The wording was revealing.
It suggested that people who questioned private security decisions were being characterized as troublemakers before an officer even arrived.
Then Andrea's team located the messages concerning my address.
The property had been flagged through CrestWatch's internal system several weeks before my appointment ceremony.
The initial entry came from a neighborhood compliance employee.
It described the home's owner as difficult to verify, despite public property records and association documents identifying me as the legal owner.
A second entry claimed an unidentified woman had been seen entering the residence.
The description matched me.
A third report suggested that repeated suspicious activity might justify enhanced police attention.
The investigators compared the entries with the company's normal procedures.
They found no corresponding evidence of burglary.
No resident complaint supported by a witness account of criminal conduct.
And no documented effort to verify the homeowner's identity through the association's own records.
Instead, the property profile had accumulated warning flags.
I stared at a summary of those findings during a briefing arranged through the appropriate channels.
Helena sat across from me.
I had received the information as part of understanding potential organizational risks, with limits in place to prevent interference with the independent case.
I looked toward the page.
“They had my name.”
Helena nodded.
“The property records did.”
“And still described me as unidentified.”
“Yes.”
I took a breath.
“Who entered the original flag?”
She hesitated.
“That's under examination.”
I looked toward her.
“Please tell the independent investigators I can provide any property documents they need.”
She nodded.
“They know.”
For a moment, I thought about my front yard.