SUMMERDALE — A state investigation has resulted in the removal of Frank E. “Eddie” Ingram from the position of Summerdale police chief.

As previously reported in May, an audit by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission of the Summerdale Police Department this past spring resulted in charges that Ingram knowingly entered incorrect information into the state system, which is a violation of state law.

“...The Commission may suspend or revoke the certification of ‘any law enforcement officer who knowingly and willfully provides false or misleading information to the Commission,” a letter from APOSTC addressing the charges states.

As previously reported, Ingram was charged with falsely entered the names of Robert Mason and Charles Cook as part-time law enforcement officers with the Summerdale Police Department on July 24, 2011.

“These individuals were never employed by Summerdale,” the APOSTC letter states.

The Commission also charge Ingram with knowingly directed Morgan, “who was not a certified firearms instructor, to sign a form that would re-qualify Ingram in firearms, which can only be done by someone certified to do so.

An administrative hearing was scheduled for June 28 in Montgomery but was then moved to July 12.

A record of the hearing indicates that the APOSTC commission heard testimony from several witnesses, including Ingram, Morgan, Cook Summerdale Town Clerk Tiffany Lynn and Maj. Greg Hardy of APOSTC.

While in deliberation, the commission found Ingram guilty of the charges.

“Lance Morgan testified that he is not a certified firearms instructor and that he so informed Chief Ingram on Aug. 8, 2011,” the ruling states. “Chief Ingram admitted that he knew that Lance Morgan was not a certified firearms instructor when he directed Morgan to sign his Aug., 8, 2011 firearms qualification.

The ruling also said that Ingram falsely reported the hiring of Cook and Mason as law-enforcement officers.

As a result, the APOSTC commission ordered the revocation of Ingram’s law-enforcement certification. Subsequently, he was placed on administrative leave from the Summerdale Police Department.

“Which I feel was extremely drastic considering the administrative violations they accused me of,” Ingram said in a news release.

Ingram added that he is seeking an appeal. Meanwhile, Maj. Trent Dennis is serving as interim police chief.

“I want to let each of you know that all the community/school programs (especially our Crime Watch program) started during my first year here will continue,” he said in the release. “With your help, and with the support of our governing mayor and council, Summerdale has become a much safer place to live, work and travel. Together, we’ve managed to reduce our crime-rate and motor vehicle accidents tremendously.”

Efforts to contact Summerdale Mayor David Wilson and Lynn were unsuccessful.