Ohio Highway Patrol Fires Twelve Officers Accused of Cheating

In Columbus, Ohio, three Highway Patrol sergeants and nine Highway Patrol troopers have been fired for allegedly cheating on a written alcohol detection device test. Troopers are required to take a fifty question multiple choice test annually in order to demonstrate that they can properly operate a breathalyzer. Typically, ninety nine percent of test takers pass the test.

The suspected cheating took place at the Highway Patrol's Canton post in Jackson Township in March 2007. Investigators believe that cheat sheets were used during the test and after the cheating was discovered, the officers lied about the circumstances surrounding the cheating. Eleven of the twelve officers fired came from the forty person Canton post.

The Ohio Inspector General launched an investigation into the potential cheating after an inspector for the Ohio Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Testing reported that while he was proctoring the required test, he caught several troopers cheating off of a cheat sheet. One of the troopers later admitted to making a copy of the cheat sheet when the proctor left the room. He then distributed copies of the cheat sheet to other troopers scheduled to take the test in the following months.

The fired troopers were placed on paid leave in August and officers from neighboring counties were called in to provide assistance to the Highway Patrol's Canton post. As a result of the firings, Jackson Township post commander Lieutenant Eric Sheppard says that the remaining troopers now spend nearly all of their time responding to traffic accidents and motorist requests. Time allocated to other trooper activities such as speeding deterrence, presence in crime ridden neighborhoods, and DUI checkpoints has had to be severely curtailed. The suspended officers underwent pre-disciplinary hearings on August 29, where recommendations for the twelve officers involved were made.

The firings have had a powerful impact on the status of a number of court cases which rely on the troopers whose employment is now in jeopardy. According to Canton City Prosecutor Frank Forchione, with the certifications of so many troopers in doubt, convictions in up to seventy cases could be overturned.

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