A former police officer in Bradenton, Fla., spent years abusing his access to sensitive information to target women for dates, according to an investigation by his former department, which interviewed nearly 150 women.

The interviews revealed a pattern of “negative and inappropriate” behavior by the former officer, Leonel Marines, according to Melanie Bevan, chief of the Bradenton Police Department. An audit of Mr. Marines’s use of driver’s license and vehicle records showed a clear focus on searches for women over men.

“He was using it in a variety of ways, via social media, cold telephone calls, visits to their home under the guise of being there for police business, you name it, to try and get dates with these women,” Chief Bevan said at a news conference late last week.

Mr. Marines was “very persistent and successful at times,” she said, adding that his activity may have started as early as 2012.