COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Highway Patrol has opened an investigation into suspected vehicle abuse by a former top manager in the Ohio attorney general’s office.

Anthony Gutierrez, the former general services administrator, was fired after his actions were made public in a sexual harassment investigation.

Gutierrez, a closer personal friend of former Attorney General Marc Dann, had damaged two state vehicles without reporting the accidents.

Former state inspector general David Sturtz said car abuse has been a long standing problem in state government.

“The use of a car is the easiest thing because nobody keeps track of them,” Sturtz said.

State lawmakers launched an attempt to get a handle on vehicle use in 2003, led by Rep. Chris Widener, R-Springfield.

A reform law passed by the legislature restricted so-called “take-home” cars handed out as perks to mid- and high-level state employees.

“We had a lot of complaints from constituents about passing state vehicles with one person in a station wagon or this state vehicle sits out at the curb for a week at a time,” Widener said.

According to Widener, there are 11,903 state cars currently in use, not counting other vehicles like heavy trucks and large vans.

He said he wanted to see more leasing of state vehicles, rather than purchase, to follow the model used in corporate fleets.

Day-to-day control of state vehicles rests in the hands of individual state agencies.

The purchase of new cars is controlled by the agency headed by former Montgomery County Treasurer Hugh Quill.

Quill now runs the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. He said the Strickland administration has tried to hold down costs by moving to the purchase of smaller cars.

Instead of a mid-size Chevy Lumina or Ford Taurus, state government has begun buying the compact Ford Focus.

State government has also been hit with increasing costs for gas purchases.

Spending on gas for cars alone in 2007 was $14.9 million.

Could the state be doing more to curb vehicle abuse?

Quill said it could be worth a look.

Several other states have adopted toll-free hot lines and Web sites to allow people to report government vehicle abuse.

“We are prepared to use any tool to make sure that drivers are compliant and managers have every ability to fulfill the goals of the governor,” Quill said.

To respond to this story or report government vehicle abuse, click on the license plate below.

Jim.otte@whiotv.com