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Report critical of Ohio's crime bureau boss
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
COLUMBUS — The man now running Attorney General Marc Dann's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification — which handles evidence from hundreds of criminal cases across the state — had serious problems with his own evidence room when he headed the Howland Twp. Police Department, according to an Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police report.
Although the Dann administration heard about the report more than a month ago, no one bothered to get a copy and read it, said Ed Simpson, Dann's chief of staff.
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The police chiefs association delivered harsh criticism of then-Howland Twp. Police Chief Steve Lamantia in a 120-page report to township officials in October 2002. Lamantia retired four months later.
In January, Dann hired Lamantia as interim superintendent of BCI, the 300-employee division that assists local law enforcement, handles seven million background checks a year, and processes forensic and DNA evidence.
Lamantia, 67, is paid $84,011 a year. He spent 29 years in the Ohio Highway Patrol before heading the Howland Twp. police force for 10 years until 2003. He worked in private industry between 2003 and his hiring in January by Dann. Howland Twp., which has nearly 20,000 residents, abuts Warren.
"I've been running BCI for six months and I feel very confident in my ability to run BCI," said Lamantia, who is not a candidate for the permanent job.
The Chiefs of Police reviewed the township police department's procedures at the request of Howland Twp. Manager Darlene St. George. It concluded the department sorely needed better staff training, more consistent discipline, and clearly written policies, job descriptions and goals. An outdated deadly force policy permitted officers to shoot to kill to protect property during a riot.
The report pointed out "major flaws" with the department's property room. Evidence was lying on desks and file cabinets in unsecured areas, blood and bodily fluid samples were held an unsecured refrigerator, property was stacked with little semblance of order, and the evidence room could be accessed by maintenance workers or even by someone climbing over a false ceiling. The department didn't keep track of who entered the room log and some property could not be accounted for.
Lamantia said his department was in the process of revamping the evidence room when the review occurred. He added that he has issues with the report but declined to discuss them.
Lamantia did not disclose the critical review before being hired. "It was in the newspapers so I assumed everyone knew about it," he said.
But Simpson, a former newspaper editor, said he didn't know about the report and by the time an anonymous tipster told the Dann administration about the report, "Steve was already on board. He passed a background check. He passed his interviews."
Simpson did not know who served as Lamantia's references but said, "Marc was probably one. I don't know."
He added, "All I can tell you is Steve's done a good job for us. There have been no problems."
Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.
