Oregon Police Officer Jeff Brown, son of Mayor Marge Brown, was suspended for 20 days following a police department investigation into his use of a police Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS) computer on ex-girlfriend Tanya Hernandez.

LEADS gives police access to national criminal justice databases.

The violation occurred over a two-year period, according to a report issued by the police department on Friday.

“During the last couple of years, you used LEADS to run the female mentioned numerous times,” according to a disciplinary report from Police Chief Richard H. Stager and addressed to Brown on Sept. 3.

On June 12, 2009, a LEADS audit showed there were numerous inquiries on Hernandez, states the report. In November 2006, Brown ran Hernandez three times in a 12 day period.

“This would be the approximate time that the two began their relationship,” states the report.

Hernandez was run an additional eight times by Brown over the course of the next two and a half years, states the report.

“She was run once in June 2007, once on Christmas Eve in 2008, about the time their relationship terminated,” states the report.

“Jeff has run Tanya’s information using her Social Security number six times since the beginning of 2009,” states the report. “She was run most recently in the early morning hours of May 26, 2009. This was followed by her being run six hours later the same morning by Officer Bruce Huer, who stopped Hernandez for a traffic violation related to being under suspension and towed her vehicle shortly after that time.”

Hernandez, according to the report, suspected that Brown was behind the traffic violation and that he had contacted Huer to report she had a suspended drivers license. The report confirmed her suspicions. Huer told investigators that Brown had indicated to him that he had run plates in the lot where her car was parked the previous evening and that the registrations check on her vehicle indicated that the registered owner of the vehicle was suspended. Huer did a record check to confirm that she was under suspension. Huer was asked by Assistant Chief Paul Magdich, who conducted the investigation on Brown, whether Brown had told him Hernandez was a former girlfriend and Huer stated he did not.

“Bruce had no idea the driver he cited was well known to Officer Brown,” states the report.

“The times that she was run would support the allegation that a law enforcement purpose was not the driving force behind this use of the LEADS terminal,” states the report.

Brown will be blocked from using the Northwest Ohio Regional Information System (NORIS) and LEADS for six months and has been suspended from the Special Response Team (SRT) for six months, states the report.

Brown is required to volunteer 40 hours of service to the Oregon Recreation Department and report to Joe Wasserman, director of the department.  He must also attend the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for an evaluation and a possible followup.

Furthermore, Brown received a verbal reprimand for interfering in the private business or affairs of another woman, Vicky Ferris.

The report dismissed allegations against Brown that he had sexual contact with a woman, Nichole Rhoades, while on duty in 2002 because an investigative report on the matter conducted by former Police Chief Thomas Gulch could not be found.

“Also, during that time that you dated Ms. Rhoades, there were other serious allegations that are disturbing,” stated the report, without disclosing details.

Gulch, who was fired by Mayor Brown in 2005, had conducted an investigation into the allegations involving Ms. Rhoades, states the report.

“It appears my predecessor knew about these complaints and conducted an investigation,” states Stager in the report. “However, to this date, I have not located any investigative report into this matter.” To punish Brown for an investigation that was conducted several years ago would probably violate Brown’s contractual rights, an agreement with the City of Oregon and the Oregon Police Patrolmen’s Association, states the report.

Rhoades told Stager that she had informed Gulch while he was chief that she had sexual encounters with Brown while he was on duty, according to the report.

“Ms. Rhoades also indicated that Chief Gulch advised that Ptlm. Brown would be suspended for three days,” states the report.  Rhoades’ father, Tom Rhoades, telephoned Gulch expressing his concern that Brown was “using poor judgment dating his daughter who is just out of high school.”

Stager states in the report that “it appeared Chief Gulch was aware of the complaints and conducted an investigation.”

“Lt. Brian Andrzejewski advised that he mentioned to Chief Gulch about police reports filed relating to Nichole Rhoads and Ptlm. Brown several years ago. Chief Gulch told Lt. Andrzejewski that he would take care of the complaints.”

Since reports from Gulch’s investigation could not be found, Stager dismissed a recommendation by Magdich that Brown be suspended for 15 days for having sexual contact with Rhoades while on duty.

The investigative report on Brown comes just days before Oregon’s Sept. 15 mayoral primary in which his mother, who is facing opposition from Councilman Mike Seferian, and grocer Marvin Dabish, is seeking a third term.

Mayor Brown did not return calls to The Press for comment. Officer Brown could not be reached for comment.

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