The Sultan Police Department takes another hit as state investigators rule the chief's top assistant committed misconduct.

That's in addition to an ongoing criminal investigation into the Chief of Police.

Reporter Chris Halsne first exposed a troubled department months ago.

For starters, Sultan Police employee Caroline Pepperell has been fired (pending an appeal) for using "law-enforcement-only" computer databases for personal reasons. The reasons for the termination are all laid out in a Washington State Patrol report.

Pepperell was the Sultan police chief's top aide until she got caught in what her attorney describes as a "lapse in judgment."

Highlights of a 44-page, internal investigation into Pepperell -- obtained by KIRO Team 7 Investigators before its official release later this week -- include:

Sustained misconduct

Dereliction of duty

Willful failure to properly conduct herself

Improper use of police databases and the 9-1-1 call center.

Sultan Mayor Ben Tolson says the city had to take action after reading the report.

“We take it very seriously. People's personal rights will not be infringed, no matter what level of government position a person may have.”

Gayle Harvie's personal information was run through the police computers. She is Pepperell's neighbor, and the one who first complained about the intrusive behavior.

“It's a disturbing situation when you have the public trust that's been breached by a member of the police department.”

Months ago, KIRO Team 7 Investigators exposed also how Pepperell had been previously fired from her job at the Mount Lake Terrace Police department for using the police computers there to "find dates at rodeos and bars."

Sultan residents, like Josh Hale, question why the city doesn’t do a better job screening employees, telling KIRO Team 7 Investigators, “I think it's kind of ridiculous that they hired her in the first place considering what she did.”

Other Sultan residents we talked to on the street are really unhappy that around $40,000 in tax money is being used to investigate this matter.

“They don't have the money to do it.” “It was kind of a bad situation that shouldn't have happened that now we all get to pay for it.”

Carroll Pepperell's attorney says she is appealing her termination with the Civil Service Board.

In the meantime, the Everett police department has assigned a detective to investigate recently retired Sultan Police chief Fred Walser. That agency will not comment, but we’re told the case will be completed within a month.