Amarillo’s police chief Martin Birkenfeld has been allowed to retire after he publicly supported a high school football coach who sexually abused a 15-year-old female student.
Birkenfeld was suspended last week following backlash for his defense of coach Cole Underwood, who confessed to federal charges of sexually exploiting the freshman athlete while he was the athletic director at Perryton Independent School District.
Underwood previously coached at Amarillo ISD, where he reportedly earned the nickname “Perv” for his inappropriate conduct around female students.
In a pre-sentencing character letter read in court on February 11, Birkenfeld stated he was “shocked” and “saddened” to learn Underwood was guilty of sexually abusing a young student, yet he asked the court to consider Underwood’s lack of criminal history and “redeeming qualities.”
The judge sentenced Underwood to 30 years in federal prison.
During a special meeting on Friday to discuss the controversy, Amarillo City Council members agreed to negotiate a “separation agreement” with Birkenfeld.
Pro-life activist Mark Lee Dickson said the city “should have just outright fired” Birkenfeld.
“Perhaps the Amarillo Mayor and City Council pursued a separation agreement because they wanted to allow Chief Birkenfeld to have a chance in overseeing law enforcement elsewhere, much like Amarillo ISD wanted to allow Cole Underwood to have a chance when he went to Perryton ISD,” Dickson posted on social media.
Dickson said he has been raising concerns for almost a year that the chief was “compromised” because his daughter-in-law, Aubrey Reinhardt Birkenfeld, is Randall County’s assistant criminal district attorney in charge of juvenile cases and has a long history of pro-abortion activism.
“Beginning in April 2024, I started sharing my concerns with Amarillo leadership that Chief of Police Martin Birkenfeld was compromised. I had multiple conversations with Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley and the Amarillo City Council, but they ignored my concerns,” wrote Dickson.
For almost a year, the city leadership has heard my concerns that because of their close relationship and their public offices that Chief Birkenfeld could be compromised on a variety of different matters.
The letter Chief Birkenfeld wrote to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, in support of a coach who admitted to having sex with a 15-year-old girl in his school office at least 10 times, says it all. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk was right when he said, “This is not Romeo and Juliet. This is predator and prey.”
Odessa City Councilman Chris Hanie agreed with Dickson that Birkenfeld should have been fired.
“This is a predator. When will the cities realize they are the problems,” Hanie commented on Dickson’s post. “As a city councilman I would put this up for a firing and not hesitate.”
“Amarillo needs better leadership,” concluded Dickson.
A statement from the City of Amarillo indicated the decision allowing Birkenfeld to retire was made “with the intent to provide finality, avoid potential civil service proceedings, and to move the department and community forward as quickly as possible.”
Birkenfeld served on the Amarillo Police Department for 35 years and as chief since May 2020.
Assistant Police Chief Jimmy Johnson will serve as acting chief while city officials search for a permanent replacement for Birkenfeld.
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