K9 OFFICER QUITS SEASONAL JOB ON S. BASS ISLAND

PUT-IN-BAY - A K9 officer who started the drug dog program on South Bass
Island has resigned from his seasonal job, following similar departures in
May of the mayor and the police chief.

Phil Howell, who attracted support in the fall after his first dog, Ajax,
died following an island drug raid, handed in his letter of resignation on
Sunday to new police Chief Robert Lampela. "I didn't want to leave the
[Put-in-Bay] department," Mr. Howell said yesterday. "I made a lot of
friends and I learned a lot."

The officer declined to discuss specific details of his departure. But he
said he's looking forward to continuing with his other job at the Bay View
police department in Erie County, where he's been in charge of its K9 unit
since February.

Bay View police Chief John Drossman said yesterday he's thrilled to have
Mr. Howell on his staff full time. He said he was aware of some
controversies on Put-in-Bay that upset Mr. Howell and may have driven him
from his job. That included a request last month from island leaders that
Mr. Howell take his new police dog, Alex, off the island. Mr. Howell took
that request personally.

"I think he did take it as a personal attack over there. I just viewed it
as a politics over there," Chief Drossman said. "He does a wonderful job
for my department."

The chief said former Put-in-Bay police Chief Jim Lang and former Mayor
John Blatt had recommended Mr. Howell highly.

Mr. Blatt quit May 9 amid allegations that he slandered some local
residents. Some residents speculated that business owners who resented a
crackdown on liquor-law violations forced the mayor out.

Chief Lang resigned just three weeks later. He did not cite a reason for
his departure.

Both Mr. Blatt and Chief Lang had hailed the presence of Mr. Howell and an
island drug dog. Both also had supported Mr. Howell after his first dog
died in early September.

Officials never learned the exact cause of the dog's death following an
island drug raid. But they believed he had ingested something poisonous
while on the job.

Two months later, island residents and officials raised $5,000 to help
purchase the new German shepherd, which Mr. Howell now handles.

Chief Lampela was not in the office yesterday and could not be reached for
comment.

Island Mayor Mack McCann said he learned Monday of Mr. Howell's departure.
But he said police resignations were not matters that involved the mayor.

Asked whether Mr. Howell was told to take his dog off the island, Mr.
McCann responded by saying: "I guess that's probably true."

Before Mr. Howell's departure, Mr. McCann said the police department swore
in a new dog and a handler. A second pair is expected to be sworn in, he added.

Mr. McCann said departures of seasonal, part-time officers like Mr. Howell
are not unusual. The mayor said he did not feel Mr. Howell had been forced
from his job.