A former Odessa police officer was arrested Wednesday on a felony charge after investigators determined he allegedly used information obtained through arrests to contact people who had been taken into custody, according to reporting by yourbasin.com.
Jody Baer was arrested Sept. 9 by the Texas Rangers and the Odessa Police Department on a charge of misuse of official information, a third-degree felony.
According to yourbasin.com, the Odessa Police Department said an investigation found Baer had used information obtained through his duties as an officer in an effort to gain a benefit. Investigators determined Baer intentionally obtained the phone numbers of at least two people who had been arrested and later messaged them.
Baer had been placed on administrative leave without pay when the allegations were first reported, according to the department. He is no longer employed by the Odessa Police Department.
“Baer’s actions erode the trust that the Odessa Police Department works hard to build between the police and our community,” the department said in a statement cited by yourbasin.com. “His conduct does not reflect the values of the Odessa Police Department and the City of Odessa.”
Baer, an Odessa native, joined the police department in late 2022.
The misuse of official information charge is a third-degree felony under Texas law.
