What Ohio law enforcement officers need to know to fulfill their continuing professional training requirement in 2022
It’s a significant change from the past several years: In 2022, law enforcement officers across the state are required to complete 24 hours of continuing professional training (CPT).
To clarify what’s expected, the following guide explains what CPT is, why it’s mandated this year, and how law enforcement officers can fulfill their requirement in the remaining eight months.
In short, CPT is an investment by the state in the development and welfare of police officers, deputies, troopers, their agencies and the communities they serve. For the first time since 2017, the General Assembly last year funded advanced training — allocating $15 million, one of the largest single investments in CPT training in Ohio history.
Since then, Attorney General Dave Yost has worked with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy to make sure law enforcement officers can easily meet their CPT requirements with either online or in-person classes, or a combination of the two.
Classes on OPOTA Online are free, and new videos are constantly being added. Additionally, OPOTA offers in-person classes at its London campus and various locations around the state. And thanks to an agreement announced by Yost in late March, CPT coursework and other advanced training also are available now through five independent regional providers — a welcome convenience and cost savings for law enforcement officers and their agencies, which have asked for training closer to home.
The Q&A on pages 4-5 covers the basics of CPT and highlights some important updates.
Who has to take CPT?
Sworn police officers, deputies and troopers who graduated from a basic training academy in 2021 or earlier — about 33,000 in all — must take 24 hours of CPT in 2022.
What exactly are the CPT requirements?
A minimum of 16 hours of instruction must be completed in four-hour blocks of coursework selected from among the seven categories below. The first category, Cultural Humility, is mandatory. Law enforcement officers can choose to fulfill their 24-hour requirement entirely from this list of topics (four hours from six categories). OPOTA developed the curriculum and offers classes through its online platform in each of these areas:
1. Cultural Humility: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity: 4 hours (mandatory)
2. Responding to Mental Health: 4 hours
3. Use of Force: 4 hours
4. Legal Updates: 4 hours
5. Officer Personal Wellness: 4 hours
6. Responding to Sexual Assaults: 4 hours
7. Domestic Violence: 4 hours
Eight hours can be taken from courses with curriculum designed for categories 8-17 (below). These are based on standards set by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board. OPOTA offers some in-person classes that can satisfy the requirements of several categories. Law enforcement officers should check with their agency about the availability of classes in these categories.
8. Law Enforcement Response to Mass Protests/Demonstrations
9. Standards for Law Enforcement Vehicular Pursuit
10. Investigation of Employee Misconduct
11. Bias-Free Policing
12. Law Enforcement Telecommunicator Training
13. Body Worn Cameras
14. Use of Deadly Force
15. Employee Recruitment and Hiring
16. Community Engagement
17. Agency Wellness
Go to www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/CPT for information on requirements and other resources, including the latest CPT update bulletin.
Where do I take CPT courses?
Generally speaking, larger agencies with dedicated training officers will provide CPT classes to their staff through in-house instruction. Agencies can use the curriculum that OPOTA developed or create their own, with OPOTA’s approval.
Agencies that don’t provide in-house CPT might opt to contract with a third-party provider to instruct their staff. In all cases, OPOTA must approve the CPT curriculum.
A first step for law enforcement officers is to talk to their commanding officer about their agency’s plan for CPT and how they can best meet the training requirements for this year.
My agency doesn’t offer CPT in house or contract with an in-person provider. Where can I go to complete CPT?
Smaller law enforcement agencies often lack the resources to provide training. In such cases, your agency will likely direct you to take CPT through OPOTA, either in person or online, or both.
Information about OPOTA courses and registration is available at two different portals on the academy’s website depending on the type of instruction you prefer:
· In-person training: To see a catalog of current in-person courses offered by OPOTA, including those offered by its new regional providers, and to register, go to the OPOTA Portal at OPOTA.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
· Online training: To see a catalog of current OPOTA online courses, and to register,
go to OPOTA Online at OPOTA.online.inquisiqlms.com.
OPOTA regularly adds courses, so be sure to check back frequently.
Another option for officers is to check if nearby agencies offer an approved CPT course and have open seats. Ask your commanding officer for information and approval.
Where can I take CPT courses in person?
OPOTA offers in-person CPT courses at its London campus and various sites around the state. And the academy just recently partnered with five independent regional providers to make CPT and other advanced training available closer to home. Some providers are expected to offer courses at multiple satellite sites in their regions:
· North Central: Lorain County Community College, Elyria
· Northeast: Kent State University, Trumbull County campus, Warren
· Northwest: Clark State College, Springfield, and its partner, Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, Bellefontaine
· Southeast: Hocking College, Nelsonville
· Southwest: Great Oaks Career Campuses, Cincinnati
To view a catalog of in-person courses offered by OPOTA and its regional providers, and to register for courses, go to the OPOTA Portal at OPOTA.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov. Please note that details about courses and locations are currently being worked out by the individual regional providers but will be regularly updated on the OPOTA Portal.
Will I be able to satisfy the CPT requirements entirely through OPOTA Online?
Yes. OPOTA immediately started building its online content as soon as the commission that oversees the academy approved the training categories. OPOTA staff first reviewed existing training videos and posted those that satisfied the CPT criteria. But the goal all along was to provide new content from the best subject-matter experts. So OPOTA has been writing new curriculums in order to produce fresh videos, and is posting them online as soon as they are ready. As of May, each of the first seven categories listed previously, under CPT requirements, is expected to have at least four hours of instruction available on OPOTA Online — a total of at least 28 hours.
What are some of the other advantages of taking CPT online?
Online classes can be taken at any time, which is especially handy for officers on second and third shift. They can be easily stopped and restarted. (See sidebar above.) Additionally, online courses taken through OPOTA — whether CPT or other advanced training — are free. And, of course, with online courses there is no travel time involved or lodging and overtime expenses incurred.
What happens if I don’t complete CPT?
Under the Ohio Administrative Code, you will be prohibited from carrying a firearm and required to stop performing your official functions until OPOTA has evidence of compliance. (The rule does not apply to peace officers or troopers granted an extension by OPOTA’s executive director — an exception that will be considered only under specific emergency circumstances.)
I have appointments from multiple agencies. Which agency is responsible for certifying that I completed CPT?
If you have a full-time appointment, that agency is responsible. If you have a part-time appointment but no full-time appointment, the part-time agency is responsible. If you don’t have a full-time or part-time appointment, your primary agency is the agency that first appointed you.
Who do I contact if I have questions?
Send an email to CPTquestions@OhioAGO.gov or check www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/CPT for the most current information.
