(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced the critical subjects required for peace officer and trooper Continued Professional Training (CPT) reimbursement in 2017.
Twenty hours of CPT are required in 2017. To qualify for reimbursement for all 20 hours, peace officers and troopers must be trained on the following critical subjects next year:
- Trauma Informed Policing (6 hours): How to effectively engage those suffering from mental illness, PTSD, and substance abuse disorders.
- Practical Application of Force (4 hours): Sharpening decision-making skills regarding use of force through scenario-based exercises.
- Officer and Community Wellness (4 hours): Strengthening the legitimacy of law enforcement in local communities; self-wellness.
- Legal Update (2 hours): Update on changes to Ohio law that took place in 2016.
All peace officers and troopers must also take four training hours related to any general law enforcement topic.
"Ohio has made significant strides in law enforcement training over the past several years, and next year's 20 hours of training will help reinforce the skills officers need to protect Ohio's families each and every day," said Attorney General DeWine.
The 20 CPT hours are the highest number of training hours ever required by the Ohio Peace Office Training Commission for a single year. The increase followed a 2015 recommendation by Attorney General DeWine's Advisory Group on Law Enforcement Training that Ohio increase annual, advanced training for all peace officers and troopers in the state. The Ohio legislature then mandated that all officers and troopers take 11 hours of CPT in 2016 (up from four hours in 2015) and 20 CPT hours in 2017, with the subjects of the training required for reimbursement to be determined by the Ohio Attorney General.
The topics for 2017's critical subjects, along with 2016's critical subjects, were selected based on additional suggestions by the advisory group that recommended mandated CPT include training on mental health and de-escalation, use of force, and community-police relations. The 2017 course instruction builds off of the 2016 course material.
The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA), which is a division of the Ohio Attorney General's Office, is currently developing new curriculum that law enforcement must take to meet the critical subject requirements. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services will also be partnering with OPOTA to provide instruction on trauma informed policing.
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Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840