Editor's note: Renton Police Chief Kevin Milosevich discussed the investigation of cartoon videos parodying the department. Click here to watch his statement, and to view some of the videos.

The Renton Police Department is reeling from what the chief calls "unprecedented" personnel issues that have led to multiple internal reviews, disciplinary action against supervisors and now a legal hunt to find out who created a series of video parodies about the department.

An internal investigation earlier this year found that Deputy Chief Tim Troxel demonstrated “unbecoming conduct” for asking an on-duty officer to help him stake out the home of his then-girlfriend, also a city employee, whom he suspected of having a relationship with someone else.

The incident is laid out in internal documents provided to Renton Patch. (Click on the PDF to read the 58-page document, which includes an anonymous letter to Renton Mayor Denis Law, and the internal review documentation and process.) 

Troxel acknowledged his actions in the 2009 incident, according to the review, which started in November 2010. His initial proposed discipline of a 40-hour suspension without pay was reduced to 24 hours without pay when it was finalized in February. Troxel has been with the department since 1984 and was promoted to deputy chief in 2007.

Another pending internal investigation involves Charles Marsalisi, a deputy chief who was recently demoted to sergeant over his role in or knowledge of a collection of cartoon videos parodying the department and city employees. Police Chief Kevin Milosevich confirmed the demotion to Patch in an interview late last month.

The city attorney’s office is trying to find out who made the videos, claiming that they constitute cyberstalking, according to an affidavit for a search warrant first reported Thursday by kirotv.com. (KIRO's story and some of the cartoons are here.)

The city claims that three city employees felt they were “targeted by embarrassing and emotionally tormenting comments about past sexual relationships or dating relationships that were discussed within some of these videos,” according to the affidavit. The affidavit is seeking information related to a Gmail account linked to the videos.

Questions about the legal action were referred to the city's Chief Administrative Officer Jay Covington, who didn't return phone messages left Thursday.

One other internal investigation is also ongoing, with a due process hearing for Sgt. Bill Judd held Thursday. Details about that investigation weren’t available.

Although Chief Milosevich said that it's department policy not to comment on personnel issues, he provided some insight into the weight of the situation in a conversation with Patch in late July.

"It's unprecedented, some of these issues," he said in regard to the disciplinary actions involving Troxel and Marsalisi.

"I don't think you can go through disciplinary actions of two deputy chiefs and not have it affect morale," he said.

An anonymous letter, which appears to be from a longtime police department employee, sent to the mayor in November calls the issues "JUST the tip of the iceberg."

“Moral [sic] will continue to decline, you will start to have rouge [sic] cops become more prevalent because that is their example above them,” the letter said. “If you do nothing, then that is on you. But at least I said something. I’ve seen too much not too [sic].”

Milosevich said that higher-ranking personnel have ongoing supervisory training to assist them with their positions and the leadership duties and responsibilities of their positions.

"When you agree to serve in a public capacity, you'll be held to a higher standard," he said, adding that that's the reason the department must now be open about the issues.

"We have to air our dirty laundry."

ORIGINAL STORY: posted Aug. 4 at 9:53 a.m.

Kirotv.com has reported that the City of Renton filed an affidavit for search warrant with King County Superior court last week in order to uncover the name of a video cartoonist who created parodies of the department.

Kiro has posted the cartoons here.

While the city is taking issue with the second set of cartoons, which were posted in April, First Amendment rights advocates quoted by Kiro say the move is an "extreme abuse of power."

The city does not plan to take legal action over the first set of cartoons that were posted in January, and let to an internal investigation, said a department official.

The cartoonist is just one problem in the Renton Police Department.

Another recent personnel issue involves Deputy Chief Tim Troxel for 'unbecoming conduct' and 'abuse of position' for asking subordinate officers to assist him with stalking his then girlfriend, also a City of Renton employee. Troxel has been with the department since 1984.

Although Renton Police Chief Kevin Milosevich said that it's department policy not to comment on personnel issues, he provided some insight into the weight of the situation. 

"It's unprecedented, some of these issues," he said in regard to the disciplinary action taken with Troxel, and the demotion of another Deputy Chief to Sergeant.

"I don't think you can go through disciplinary actions of two deputy chiefs and not have it affect morale," he said.

An anonymous letter sent to Mayor Denis Law late last year calls these emerging issues "JUST the tip of the iceberg."

However, Milosevich said that higher-ranking personnel have ongoing supervisory training to assist them with their position and the leadership duties and responsibilities of their positions.

"When you agree to serve in a public capacity, you'll be held to a higher standard,"  he said, adding that that's the reason the department must now be open about the issues.

"We have to air our dirty laundry."