Continuing his efforts to make advanced training more accessible to Ohio’s law enforcement officers, Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy have partnered with a seventh regional training partner as part of the Close to Home program.
The Scioto County Career Technical Center, based in Lucasville, will serve southern Ohio.
Yost and OPOTA launched the Close to Home program in 2022 in response to feedback from officers who requested training closer to the communities in which they live and serve. In addition to the convenience they offer, regional training locations reduce lodging and per diem expenses, easing the strain on the budgets of law enforcement agencies.
The five charter partners were Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Kent State University’s Trumbull County campus, Clark State College in Springfield, Hocking Technical College in Nelsonville, and Great Oaks Career Campuses in Cincinnati. A sixth regional partner, Owens Community College in Perrysburg, joined the network in 2023.
OPOTA’s main campus, based in London, remains the training provider in central Ohio and continues to welcome officers from around the state.
The regional providers are vocational or community colleges that have a basic police academy attached to them. They offer OPOTA-approved courses taught by active sworn, retired sworn, or licensed professionals who hold instructor certificates from OPOTA. The goal is to provide standardized training that ensures that officers across Ohio respond in predictable ways that achieve the best outcomes for all involved.
Courses hosted by Close to Home partners are listed in the OPOTA catalog. Law enforcement officers register through the catalog or through their Ohio Portal account. After successfully completing a course, students receive an OPOTA certificate, and the training is added to their employee profile.
For questions regarding the OPOTA Close to Home program, please email
OPOTAClosetoHome@OhioAGO.gov