Local Troopers Accused of Cheating on Annual Test

REPOSITORY STAFF REPORT

Not all police officers can give you a breath test if they suspect you have been driving while drunk. They need a permit to give the test.

The Ohio Inspector General said today that some troopers from the Ohio Highway Patrol's Canton post may have cheated on the annual test they need to pass to get the breath-test permit.

Thomas P. Charles, spokesman for the Ohio Inspector General, said the office has opened an investigation into the alleged cheating, which was discovered by the Ohio Department of Health's Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Testing. The Inspector General also is investigating officers from the Montgomery Police Department.

Charles said it's "too early for us to tell" how many people are accused of cheating, how they may have cheated or what punishment could be levied if the accusations are validated.

"We don't have any details," Charles said.

The Ohio Department of Health has instituted a new written test, and suspended testing at the two sites where the cheating allegedly occurred until the investigation is completed.

PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE INVESTIGATION

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