The Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Police officials have been cleared of allegations that they pressured filmmakers to hire a security company that employs off-duty officers.

"There was not one iota, or scintilla, of evidence," Public Safety Director Jim Draper said on Wednesday. "This was (garbage)."

The 101-page report shows that most of the 60 people questioned recalled no police pressure to hire Tenable Protective Services.

Mayor Jane Campbell ordered the probe in May after she received complaints from the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, which helped bring five Hollywood film productions to Cleveland over the last two years.

Tenable head Peter Miragliotta, who employs 300 city officers for off-duty security work, said he expected the investigation to vindicate his company.

"The worst thing that has happened in my life is the integrity of my company has been challenged," he said.

Traffic Commissioner Timothy Bungo, also a target of the investigation, said he too figured to be cleared.

"I didn't lose any sleep over it," he said.

Two internal-affairs detectives, both of whom had worked for Tenable, conducted the investigation. They agreed not to do work for Tenable during the investigation.

Chris Carmody, president of the nonprofit film commission, told investigators that moviemakers complained about an improper relationship between the traffic bureau and Tenable.

Mr. Carmody told investigators that he witnessed Mr. Bungo recommending Tenable to the producers of The Antwone Fisher Story. He also said Paramount Pictures felt "buffaloed" into choosing Tenable.

Another moviemaker, Alan Forbes, who worked on the Cleveland productions of Proximity and Welcome to Collinwood, said he was "steered" to a Tenable executive and other companies.

But Molly Allen, location manager for The Antwone Fisher Story, said the film commission, not Mr. Bungo, referred her to Tenable.

Mr. Draper said the investigation was a waste of taxpayers' money and that even filmmakers who implicated police could not cite enough specifics.

"It seems to me that some of these film companies wanted some free police," he said. "When that couldn't be delivered, some folks got teed off."