The police chief of Reading improperly accessed a statewide law enforcement database containing sensitive personal information, according to state investigation records obtained by The Enquirer, adding to scrutiny of a department already grappling with poor leadership and low morale.
Chief Bryan Edens violated access rules for the Law Enforcement Automated Data System, or LEADS, a statewide criminal justice database, by having a clerk retrieve his brother's personal information, according to documents from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
The statewide database gives authorized users access to sensitive personal and criminal justice records. Misuse can result in disciplinary action, loss of access or criminal charges.
The Hamilton County
Prosecutor's Office declined to pursue charges. A Reading official said the allegations were taken seriously and acted upon quickly.
Edens, who became chief in 2020, has been using paid time off accrued from his 26 years with the department. His upcoming retirement will mark an end to leadership characterized by high turnover and internal conflict, according to a 2025 report.
Reading is located outside of Cincinnati just north of Roselawn. Its 20 full-time officers police a population of just over 10,000, according to 2020 census data.
Chief Edens investigated for database misuse
State officials received a tip about the access on Feb. 17 after an officer who was present reached out, records show.
That officer said Edens had "engaged in similar unauthorized searches over time, repeatedly using LEADS for non-criminal justice purposes," records show.
In April, Edens told state officials he needed his brother's ZIP code so he could answer medical questions on behalf his brother, who was in the hospital. He said he asked a clerk to run the search on his behalf.
The chief "stated that he needed the answers in a timely manner and was having trouble answering the security questions," according to the report. He said he only queried his brother's data once and nothing was printed.
At the beginning of the interview, Edens said he didn't know if it constituted a LEADS violation. Toward the end, investigators note he said, "I guess it was a LEADS violation."
It's not clear whether Edens made inappropriate searches with LEADS before. The clerk who ran the search told investigators it was the only instance where she was asked to do something questionable, records show.
Edens didn't face charges
Ohio law criminalizes non law enforcement searches in LEADS.
The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office did not charge Edens. Records show the prosecutor's office believed he had voluntarily resigned. However, Edens has not resigned and remains Reading's police chief. He is set to retire Aug. 7.
"Reading officials told the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office Chief Edens would be leaving the position in a manner in which he would not return, assuring that the situation would not be repeated," First Assistant Prosecutor Heidi Rosales of the prosecutor's office told The Enquirer in a statement when asked for clarification.
The prosecutor's office said it didn't feel the need to pursue charges because of his future absence combined with the fact that it would be hard to demonstrate malicious intent on Edens' behalf
The city of Reading said it took Edens' actions seriously by placing him on administrative leave in May and ordering him to cease police work, Reading Safety Service Director Patrick Ross told The Enquirer.
"We did not try to downplay it or sweep it under the rug," Ross said.
Edens had 'profoundly negative impact' as chief, report states
Edens became chief in April 2020. A consulting firm audited the Reading Police Department in 2025 to analyze its low morale and high turnover.
"There was a widespread perception that the new chief had an immediate and profoundly negative impact on the agency," stated the August 2025 report by Crosden Consulting. "Officers described a noticeable shift in tone and culture − one that altered the department’s trajectory almost overnight."
From 2020 to 2025, 16 officers left Reading Police Department. Eleven departures were due to dissatisfaction with internal leadership and a "deteriorating work environment," the report stated.
Frustrations from staff included discrepancies between policies and practices, micromanagement by Edens' office and uneven discipline, the report states. Ross said Reading was working on implementing changes from the report, such as a new employee evaluation system, but Edens' investigation halted improvement efforts.
Ross said the biggest issue was personalities within the police department not working well overall. Edens was just one voice within that.
Reading has begun preparing the promotional test to identify its new chief. Ross said the city cannot hire one externally due to state restrictions. The candidates must be Reading lieutenants with at least one year of experience, he said.
Who is Bryan Edens?
Edens has been a police officer for 31 years, according to the village of Arlington Heights, which is just south of Reading and patrolled by its police.
Edens joined the Reading Police Department in 2000. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2011, according to a Facebook post from Reading's mayor. He became chief in 2020.
Prior to Reading, Edens did policework for the village of Elmwood Place and Mount Healthy. He graduated from Great Oaks Academy and served on its adult police academy advisory board as of 2021.
The Enquirer's public records request for Edens' personnel file has not been fulfilled by Reading at the time of publication.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What state investigation of departing Reading police chief found
