COLUMBUS — The Office of Criminal Justice Services announced last week recertification of thirteen Ohio law enforcement agencies for state standards established by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board. Among those recertified was the Brookville Police Department.
Agencies completing the certification process have adopted and implemented the initial two standards regarding use of force and hiring and recruitment while the recertification process takes place on a revolving, three to four-year cycle.
Overall, there are 635 certified agencies throughout Ohio that have met the initial standards. Additionally, 29,890 officers (representing 90.90 percent of all law enforcement officers in Ohio, including most of Ohio’s metropolitan areas) are employed by an agency that is involved in some form of the certification process.
The Collaborative was formed in 2015 to create uniform standards for Ohio’s law enforcement agencies. The first two standards were developed by the Collaborative in 2015 to improve the trust between citizens and law enforcement officers.
Additional standards established by the Collaborative address community engagement, bias-free policing, body-worn cameras, vehicular pursuits, telecommunicator training, employee misconduct, mass protests, agency wellness, interaction with minors, interaction with people in crisis, and property room management and evidence control. The standards are the first of their kind in Ohio and were developed and established by the Collaborative as part of the state’s efforts to strengthen community and police relations.
