District watchdog was inquiry focus John F. Downs is inspector general of the school district. When he was a police captain, allegations were made against him.

The former city police captain hired recently by the Philadelphia School District as its inspector general was removed from his police command in 1998 after an allegation surfaced that he had had a sexual relationship with a female officer he supervised.

The allegation was made after Capt. John F. Downs was found in an unmarked car with the female officer. According to a source, the officer who found the pair believed they were involved in a sex act.

An internal police investigation concluded that Downs had not committed any "departmental violations," according to a confidential police memorandum obtained by The Inquirer. (The department does not have blanket prohibition against sexual relations between commanders and officers they supervise.)

Downs' supervising officer, however, had "lost confidence" in him and asked that he be transferred, according to the memo. He subsequently was.

Downs - who will be paid $93,000 in his new role as a district watchdog - did not return several phone calls for comment.

As inspector general of the school district, he is charged with uncovering wrongdoing in the schools, including in the areas of contracts, workers' compensation and payroll.

Asked about the allegation and Downs' transfer, Philadelphia School District officials said they were not aware of that portion of Downs' past when the School Reform Commission approved his hiring last month.

"He had a very clean record. We thought he was infinitely qualified [for the job], with 30 years on the force and as a liaison to the school district," said Cecilia Cummings, a district spokeswoman.

Downs - a 33-year veteran of the Police Department - and a female officer under his command were discovered in Downs' unmarked police car at 1 a.m. on May 14, 1998, according to the memorandum. Both were off duty at the time, a source said.

Downs' car was parked in the 1200 block of South Juniper Street, an area within the Third District, of which Downs had command. According to the internal police report, Officer John Tittermary responded to a radio call about the auto.

Tittermary "shined his spotlight on the captain's car and [the female officer's] head popped up from the seat," according to the report. Downs drove away.

"Tittermary followed him to Broad and Christian Streets, where the captain got caught at the red light," according to the memorandum. Downs then told Tittermary everything was fine and drove off, the report said.