On the Job 

After a series of law enforcement involved shootings and deaths in Ohio and elsewhere in the nation, Attorney General Mike DeWine established a working group to look at the training for Ohio peace officers.

The Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission of the Attorney General’s Office helps shape training and compliance standards for more than 30,000 peace officers from nearly 1,000 agencies, as well as corrections, private security, probation, parole officers, humane agents, and bailiffs.

The commission also provides direction and cur­ricula for peace officer basic training academies and sets the curricula for corrections, private se­curity, probation and parole officers, and humane agents.

“Does the basic curriculum we set, and the advanced training we offer, give police officers in Ohio the ideal training to properly deal with every situation they’ll encounter? Have we given them enough training in the use of deadly force?” asked Attorney General DeWine when announc­ing the group last December. “Have we given of­ficers the tools to differentiate between an active shooter and a non-threatening person reported with a gun? Do we need additional training in community relations?”
And training doesn’t stop after students leave the police academy, he said.

The group has 16 members from across the state with various backgrounds, including Meigs County Sheriff Keith Wood, the Rev. Dr. Daryl Ward, a pastor in Dayton, Copley Police Department Offi­cer Sarah Shendy, and Tony Ortiz, vice president of Latino Affairs at Wright State University.

Dr. Reginald Wilkinson is the former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Cor­rection; he chairs the panel.

“The group has been working since December to understand more about police training. We have heard numerous presentations and reviewed many documents, journal and news articles, les­son plans, and more,” said Wilkinson.

There are three committees within the advisory group: Mental Health, Use of Force, and Com­munity Relations.

Panel members are involving many commu­nity groups and interested parties, and have participated in some real-life simulations to learn about split-second situations that can be encountered.

“Members of the advisory group are taking our charge from Attorney General DeWine very seriously,” said Wilkinson.

Visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov for the latest updates on the panel’s progress.