BELPRE — A Belpre police officer is on administrative leave pending a state investigation into suspected criminal activity, authorities said Friday.

The city began the investigation into Sgt. Dave Garvey, 54, last summer before handing it over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation in September, former Mayor Bill McAfee said. Garvey, on the force since 1991, was suspended Jan. 2, after McAfee left office.

Mayor Mike Lorentz, who succeeded McAfee, declined comment.

Police chief Ira Walker also would not comment on the investigation.

“It’s still an ongoing thing,” he said.

Walker said he would refer all questions to the state bureau.

The Washington County Prosecutor’s Office had no comment either, a spokesman said.

Jennifer Brindisi, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, said the case was called into the Ohio BCI&I on Sept. 4, and was handed to its Special Investigating Unit.

The unit conducts investigations involving serial crimes, public corruption and dignitary protection, Brindisi said. These and other investigations covered by the unit are not normally handled by other investigative units. The unit does not deal with civil or administrative affairs, Brindisi said.

“We can’t release details of the investigation because Ohio law prevents us from doing so,” she said. “All I can say is the investigation is one of some sort of criminal activity.”

Neither McAfee nor Brindisi would give information that led to the nature of the allegations or what they might be about.

Washington County Prosecuting Attorney James Schneider called in a special prosecutor to handle the case because he felt it would be a conflict of interest for Washington County authorities, Brindisi said.

McAfee said the special prosecutor is from Athens County.

Brindisi and McAfee said Garvey has not been charged and would not say what possible charges could be filed.

Garvey’s personnel file does not include a reference to the matter being investigated and indicates a satisfactory employment record.

The file contains the officer’s employment history, with no indication of any disciplinary action.

Among other things, the file contains several drug test results that came back negative for narcotics.

According to a memorandum in the file, he was the department’s investigator in charge of serious misdemeanors and most felonies.

The file also indicates he was honorably released from active duty in the U.S. Air Force, where he received the National Defense Service Medal and the Air Force Good Conduct Medal.

A copy of Garvey’s resume included in his personnel file indicates he was the chief of the Village of Matamoras Police Department. He also served as a Washington County sheriff’s deputy and a patrolman for the Andover Police Department.

Performance reviews in the file indicate above-average job performance and high marks in numerous areas. He received a commendation for efforts in helping to solve a robbery-kidnapping of a cab driver in 1995, according to the file.

Roger Adkins contributed.