EX-OFFICER CONTESTS MARIJUANA CHARGE

A Toledo police officer caught smoking suspected marijuana pleaded innocent
to a drug charge the same day a records clerk with the department was
charged administratively after she was seen smoking marijuana with the
former officer.

Peggy Hymore, 41, of Oregon was charged Jan. 26 with marijuana possession,
a minor misdemeanor. She pleaded innocent in Toledo Municipal Court on
Tuesday, a day before she was to appear in court. A trial is set for Feb.
19. She resigned from the department Jan. 27.

Also Tuesday, Tiffany Sweet, 28, of Toledo was charged with violating
department and civilian manuals after she was seen smoking marijuana with
Ms. Hymore, police Chief Mike Navarre said yesterday.

The departmental violations include subversive or prejudicial conduct,
willful violation of laws, and gross misconduct. The civilian manual
infraction deals with integrity.

Ms. Sweet, who joined the department in September, 2001, was relieved of
duty with pay Jan. 27. A disciplinary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13. If
found guilty, she could be suspended or fired, the chief said.

She's "still innocent until proven guilty," said Don Czerniak, president of
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 7,
which represents the department's civilian employees.

Chief Navarre said command officers with the department's special
enforcement bureau saw the women smoking marijuana Jan. 26 in the parking
lot of Gator's Bar at Ingomar Avenue and Spencer Street.

Ms. Sweet left Ms. Hymore's sport-utility vehicle before the officers
approached. The officers charged Ms. Hymore and arrested a passenger,
Thomas F. Meeker, Jr., 35, of 4027 Southway Court, who had a small amount
of suspected cocaine. He was charged with felony drug abuse/cocaine possession.

The investigation began with Ms. Hymore, who joined the department in 1990
and was assigned to field operations. Authorities said they received
information that an officer was involved in drug use.

"During the course of this investigation, we have followed up on numerous
leads and conducted several interviews. Even though the investigation is
not complete and we have some additional interviews to conduct, there is no
credible information to indicate that anyone else is involved," the chief said.

He said police obtained a search warrant to draw blood to see if Ms. Sweet
had used drugs. He said he anticipates a criminal charge of marijuana
possession, a minor misdemeanor offense, to be filed against her. Beyond
that, he said he doesn't anticipate other criminal or administrative
charges to be filed against anyone.

The chief said the administrative charges stem from Ms. Sweet's off-duty
conduct related to illegal drug use. He said there is no evidence that she
used drugs while on duty or reported to work under the influence of drugs.
Chief Navarre said if Ms. Sweet retains her job, he will recommend she be
reassigned.

"All police department employees, uniform or civilian, are held to a higher
standard because of their access to sensitive information and records," he
said.

During her tenure, Ms. Sweet has received two verbal reprimands: one for
being late to work several times and the other for paperwork errors. She
received a written warning after she argued with another clerk, disrupting
her co-workers and using offensive language.