(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), BCI's crime laboratories, and the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) all recently received re-accreditation.
"At the Ohio Attorney General's Office, we strive for excellence in everything we do, and I am proud that BCI, BCI’s crime laboratories, and OPOTA were all once again recognized as being among the best of the best," said Attorney General DeWine.
Both BCI and OPOTA were re-accredited under the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies' (CALEA) Gold Standard Assessment process.
The Gold Standard Assessment is an in-depth assessment available only to select agencies that have shown a commitment to the law enforcement accreditation process and that voluntarily request an increased level of outside scrutiny as a means for further self-improvement.
Both BCI and OPOTA also received the Accreditation with Excellence Award, which is given only to law enforcement agencies that are found to go above and beyond the minimum requirements for accreditation and achieve an outstanding on-site assessment. BCI also received the Advanced Accreditation designation and the Meritorious Award which is reserved for agencies maintaining 15 or more years of accredited status.
The BCI crime laboratories in London, Bowling Green, and Richfield achieved renewal of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) International accreditation. The accreditation confirms that BCI's crime labs provide services that are in compliance with international standards for testing and calibration.
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