ROSSFORD, Ohio — Glenn Goss Sr., the former Rossford police chief, was indicted Thursday on several felony charges stemming from his alleged misuse of the Law Enforcement Automated Database System (LEADS). A Wood County grand jury returned a seven-count indictment against Goss, accusing him of unauthorized use of the system, a fifth-degree felony.
The indictment details incidents spanning from December 4, 2019, to an unspecified time after Goss resigned from his position as chief in 2018. The charges allege that Goss improperly accessed the LEADS database on seven different occasions, despite no longer holding a law enforcement role at the time of the alleged offenses.
Goss, who served 17 years with the Rossford Police Department, resigned from his position as chief in 2018, citing personal reasons related to his son, Glenn Goss Jr., also a former Rossford police officer. Goss Jr. had previously been convicted of unauthorized use of the same LEADS system in 2021, following an investigation into his misuse of police databases for personal reasons. In 2019, Goss Jr. ran the license plates of multiple women and contacted them on social media, leading to his resignation in June 2020.
The allegations against Glenn Goss Sr. have raised concerns about the proper use of law enforcement tools and the potential lack of oversight within the Rossford Police Department. Misuse of the LEADS system, a highly sensitive database containing personal and confidential information, is a serious offense that can undermine public trust in law enforcement.
As the case proceeds, both former officers and the department itself may face heightened scrutiny over the practices and accountability measures in place to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future.
Authorities have not commented further on whether additional investigations into the department are underway or if any departmental reforms will be implemented in light of these charges.
The indictment of Glenn Goss Sr. serves as a stark reminder of the importance of integrity and ethical conduct within law enforcement, especially when it comes to the handling of private information.