2022 Continuing Professional Training

For calendar year 2022, peace officers and troopers must receive 24 hours of CPT. The Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) has approved the broad categories in which the required training must be completed.

Sixteen hours of CPT must come from the following list (the first category plus three of the others):

• Diversity, Inclusion, Equity: 4 hours (mandatory)
• Responding to Mental Health: 4 hours
• Use of Force: 4 hours
• Legal Updates: 4 hours
• Officer Personal Wellness: 4 hours
• Responding to Sexual Assaults: 4 hours
• Domestic Violence: 4 hours

For the final eight hours of training:

• Categories may come from two of the remaining three categories that are listed above.
• Categories may come from the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board standards (categories already named in the top list are not repeated here):
  • Law Enforcement Response to Mass Protests/Demonstrations
  • Standards for Law Enforcement Vehicular Pursuit
  • Investigation of Employee Misconduct
  • Bias Free Policing
  • Law Enforcement Telecommunicator Training
  • Body Worn Cameras
  • Use of Deadly Force
  • Employee Recruitment and Hiring
  • Community Engagement
  • Agency Wellness

Agencies may access training in multiple ways:

• OPOTA is providing pre-approved curricula relating to the seven general categories approved by OPOTC, and law enforcement agencies themselves might have developed their own trainings based upon those curricula.
• OPOTA is updating its 2022 in-person course offerings on a regular basis to provide a large variety that satisfy 2022 CPT requirements.
• OPOTA has been posting courses covering each of the OPOTC-approved categories on OPOTA Online. Law enforcement agencies may choose to take some or all of the 24 hours of required training through these free courses.
• Some agencies created their own courses in the approved categories, per the framework provided for in Ohio Administrative Code 109:2-18-03. Those courses and instructors required the approval before the courses could be taught. Click on this link for instructions and a copy of the form that agencies submitted if they sought to design their own curriculum.

To help fund CPT, the state paid law enforcement agencies up to 50% of the cost of 24 hours’ worth of salary for every officer subject to the training requirement. This funding has been allocated to agencies to utilize for training throughout the year. Agencies that receive money are responsible for reporting how and when the money is used. Details regarding reporting requirements will be forthcoming.

The graphics below and in the drop-down menus break down how the state’s funding was distributed, based on agency-supplied salary data on full-time, part-time, reserve and auxiliary personnel. NOTE: The agencies not listed either did not apply for CPT funding or did not qualify per OAC 109:2-18-2(K), the administrative rule authorizing payment.

• Agencies will need to report how CPT funds were used during 2022. Please click at this link for an update on funding distribution and year end reporting.
• To receive CPT funding, each agency must certify salary information by Nov. 1, 2021. This includes submitting the base hourly pay rate for each qualifying officer and the total that will be paid to all officers taking training in 2022. Two forms must be completed and returned:
  • 2022 CPT Salary Certification
  • 2022 Salary Data Workbook
  • An example of a completed salary data workbook is available at this link.
• Each agency must require 24 hours of training in the OPOTA-approved categories or Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board standards (see the "Required Training" tab above) for all sworn officers or troopers who graduated the academy in 2021 or earlier. This training must start and be completed in calendar year 2022.
• Each agency that receives money under the pilot program must submit to the Attorney General’s Office a report that states the amount of money received and how and when that money was used. Click on the Auditor of State Bulletin 2022-004 on CPT for information on accounting for CPT funding and allowable expenditures.

Frequently Asked Questions: For Officers

Who needs to complete continuing professional training? (OAC 109:2-18-02)
All peace officers and troopers who hold an appointment in 2022, except for those who successfully completed their basic training or highway patrol cadet training program and
exam in 2022, are required to complete the mandated continuing professional training.

What are the CPT requirements for 2022?
For calendar year 2022, peace officers and troopers must receive 24 hours of CPT. The Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) has approved the broad categories in which the required training must be completed.

Sixteen hours of CPT must come from the following list (the first category plus three of the others):

• Diversity, Inclusion, Equity: 4 hours (mandatory)
• Responding to Mental Health: 4 hours
• Use of Force: 4 hours
• Legal Updates: 4 hours
• Officer Personal Wellness: 4 hours
• Responding to Sexual Assaults: 4 hours
• Domestic Violence: 4 hours

For the final eight hours of training:

• Categories may come from two of the remaining three categories that are listed above.
• Categories may come from the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board standards (categories already named in the top list are not repeated here):
  • Law Enforcement Response to Mass Protests/Demonstrations
  • Standards for Law Enforcement Vehicular Pursuit
  • Investigation of Employee Misconduct
  • Bias Free Policing
  • Law Enforcement Telecommunicator Training
  • Body Worn Cameras
  • Use of Deadly Force
  • Employee Recruitment and Hiring
  • Community Engagement
  • Agency Wellness

Do agencies conducting their own CPT have to utilize the pre-approved OPOTA curricula for each of the identified topics approved by OPOTC? (OAC 109:2-18-03)
No. The curricula developed and provided by OPOTC in these categories are provided for convenience. Not all agencies have the staff and resources necessary to develop their own training materials. Agencies with a robust training department are welcomed to develop their own training materials and submit them to the OPOTC for review as provided by the Ohio Administrative Code.

Additionally, OPOTA offers a large variety of in-person and online courses that can also satisfy the 2022 CPT requirements.

Who can be an instructor for continuing professional training? (OAC 109:2-18-03)
CPT can be conducted only by an instructor who meets at least one of following criteria:

• Has five years’ full-time law enforcement experience and meets at least one of the following:
  • Is a current OPOTC-certified peace officer basic training instructor.
  • Holds a four-year college degree.
  • Has completed an instructional skills course approved by OPOTA’s executive director.
• Is a licensed or certified professional and is providing instruction in a subject area directly related to the field for which they are certified or licensed.

In all cases, the individual and the training program that the individual is conducting must have been pre-approved by OPOTC’s executive director.

Please note that individuals who were OPOTC-certified instructors but have had such certification revoked or suspended cannot teach CPT.

If an officer is instructing a CPT class, does the officer/instructor get credit for the CPT that the officer/instructor is teaching?
Yes, an instructor can get CPT credit for the course the instructor is teaching. The instructor would receive the same number of CPT hours as the students receive. However, if an instructor teaches the same course more than once, the instructor would only get to count it for CPT the first time taught.

Does training on topics required by the legislature count as CPT? (OAC 109:2-18-02)
Provided that the mandated training fits into one or more of the categories of trainings approved by OPOTC, completion of statutorily mandated training in 2022 can be used to satisfy CPT requirements for calendar year 2022.

Can annual in-service firearms requalification count as CPT? (OAC 109:2-18-02)
No. The time spent completing the firearms re-qualification program is an evaluation of proficiency, not training; and cannot be counted as CPT hours.

Can an officer take some or all of the 24 required hours online? (OAC 109:2-18-03)
Yes. While in-person training is often the best, it is not always a viable option. Courses taken through OPOTA Online will provide credit toward the 24 required hours. Before Jan. 1, 2022, courses listed on OPOTA Online will indicate how many credit hours may be obtained by completing the course and what category (or categories) of CPT the course can satisfy. Any online course taken through a platform other than OPOTA Online is subject to the same pre-approval rules and course requirements as other CPT.

Do courses taken in previous years on 2022 CPT topics provide the needed credit?
No. Courses that cover the 2022 CPT topics taken in previous years do not count towards 2022 CPT credit.

Does CPT training have to be taken in four-hour blocks? (109:2-18-03(A)(3))
No, but with the exception of online trainings (either pre-approved by OPOTA’s executive director or taken through OPOTA Online) CPT training must occur in blocks of time of one hour or greater. To constitute an “hour” of training, the hour must contain at least fifty minutes of actual instruction or approved training activity.

What happens if an officer does not complete CPT? (OAC 109:2-18-06)
A peace officer or trooper who, in any calendar year, fails to comply with the CPT requirements shall cease carrying a firearm and shall cease performing the functions of a peace officer or trooper until such time as evidence of compliance is filed with OPOTA’s executive director. This rule does not apply to peace officers or troopers for whom an extension of time has been granted by the executive director.

What are the possible sanctions if an officer works while in “cease function” status?
Acting as a peace officer while in cease function status could subject an officer to civil or criminal liability depending upon what peace officer function was performed. Local mayors, chiefs of police, sheriffs and prosecutors will be notified of officers who are in cease function status.

What happens if the officer misses the 12/31 deadline to complete CPT, but completes it on 1/1 or shortly thereafter? Can the officer go right back to work and function as a peace officer? (OAC 109:2-18-06)
No, the Ohio Administrative Code requires that once someone goes into cease function status (which would happen as a matter of law at midnight on 1/1/2023) then the OPOTC must receive documentation, review it and verify that the officer can be taken out of cease function status. It could take several days to review the documentation and verify that the officer has met the CPT requirements.

Can an officer’s deadline for completing the 2022 CPT be extended? (OAC 109:2-18-02 (I) and (J))
Yes, but only under very specific emergency circumstances may the OPOTC executive director extend the time for an officer to complete CPT requirements. The appointing authority must make written request to the executive director by Dec. 15, 2022. The request must explain the emergency that created the need for the extension. It shall include the name of the peace officer or trooper that the request involves, the emergency circumstances (including documentation) leading to the request, and the date the request was submitted to OPOTC.

The executive director will decide to grant or deny the extension request within 30 days of receiving it. In making this decision, the executive director will consider factors such as a serious illness of an officer or an officer’s immediate family member, prolonged military service, or an unexpected shortage of manpower within the appointing agency. If an extension is granted, it will be for 90 days, unless the executive director finds that special circumstances exist for a longer extension. The executive director shall send written notice of the decision to the appointing authority.

Does it matter that I have an appointment from multiple agencies? (OAC 109:2-18-02(K))
Yes. Your primary agency has the obligation of maintaining your records relating to your completion of CPT for 2022. Additionally, your primary agency will have the responsibility of certifying to OPOTC that you have completed your CPT requirements in 2022.

• If you have a full-time appointment with an agency, the full-time agency will be your primary agency and be responsible for maintaining and certifying your CPT records for 2022.
• If you have no full-time appointment, but have a part-time appointment to an agency (or a part time appointment and additional reserve or auxiliary appointments) your part-time agency will be your primary agency and responsible for maintaining and certifying your CPT records for 2022.
• If you have a current appointment, but no full-time or part-time appointment, your primary agency will be the agency you work for that first appointed you.
• If you have appointments of equal priority, the agency that first appointed you will be your primary agency.

Who do I contact if I have other questions?
Send an email to CPTquestions@OhioAGO.gov. Additionally, check back here often. If OPOTC staff finds similar questions are being asked repeatedly, this FAQ section will be updated with those answers.

Frequently Asked Questions: For Agencies

Which agencies are eligible to receive CPT funding for 2022?
All appointing authorities that submit a completed Salary Data Workbook and certification by Nov. 1, 2021, are eligible to receive CPT funding for 2022.

How much money will my agency receive for 2022?
Agencies can receive up to 50% of the base hourly rate of pay for the time their officers are completing the 24 hours of CPT. If, for example, Officer Jones makes $20 per hour and is expected to complete the 24 hours of CPT in 2022, the agency who employs Officer Jones could receive up to $240 of funding to help offset the costs of training.

However, the legislature only appropriated $15 million to the 2022 CPT Pilot Program. If that does not end up being enough to cover the funding requests, each agency share will be proportionately reduced to ensure all agencies get treated equally.

When will my agency receive our CPT funds for 2022?
No funds can be distributed prior to Jan. 1, 2022. Additionally, OPOTC staff cannot begin calculations until all funding requests are received and have been reviewed. The staff must verify that when a funding request is received, the officers on that list are still appointed to the requesting agency and that no other agency has claimed that officer. With over 900 agencies and nearly 35,000 officers, this takes time.

Provided agencies submit their data by the Nov. 1, 2021, deadline, the goal is to have funding distributed to the vast majority of agencies by Jan. 31, 2022. However, the legislature has mandated that all funds be disbursed before the end of the 2022 calendar year.

We are in the middle of contract negotiations and cannot say for certain what officers’ salaries will be as of Jan. 1, 2022. What salary should we report in the salary data workbook?
Agencies are required to certify the hourly rate they expect to be paying as of Jan. 1, 2022, to any officers who are subject to CPT requirements. Because you are certifying what you expect to be true on a future date, there is, of course, some uncertainty involved (even if contract negotiations are not a factor). The information you submit must be, to the best of your knowledge, true at the time of your submission.

The Attorney General’s Office realizes that certifying salary data based on a non-finalized contract can make for difficult decisions and will likely be very fact-dependent. Although the safest course of action may be to use your current salary data (as if the new contract is not approved), you might want to consult your local counsel before making your submission.

Can we update our submission in 2022 when the new contract becomes effective, or as officer pay rates change throughout the year?
The General Assembly requires the Attorney General’s Office to disburse funds based on the submissions it receives by the statutory deadline. The disbursements made in January will be based on those submissions. Presumably, the $15 million appropriated for 2022 will be exhausted at that time. If money remains, the AGO will explore options available under the statute.

What amount is needed in the Total Aggregate Salaries for all sworn peace officers column contained on the Agency Information page of the Salary Data Workbook?
The aggregate salary data should reflect the total anticipated salaries for all officers subject to the CPT requirement for the 2022 calendar year, and not just for the 24 hours they will be in the required training.

It should be based on the rate of pay as of January 1, 2022.

For each full-time paid peace officer, the formula would be base hourly rate X 2080 hours.

For each part-time paid peace officer, an agency should use their best estimate as to what the part time officer may be compensated in 2022.

Unpaid reserve or auxiliary peace officers subject to CPT should be listed, but at zero pay.

In what formats do the salary data and certification documents sent to OPOTA need to be?
Please submit the salary data workbook in the same Excel format in which it is presented online. Please DO NOT send a faxed, scanned or printed version of the workbook. The AGO has to perform calculations based on data involving nearly 35,000 officers and more than 900 agencies, so the office has developed an automated process for uploading the information you submit in an Excel workbook. Submitting it electronically in an Excel format will ensure that the data can be processed by the statutory deadline.

The CPT certification form can be sent in any standard form, such as a PDF or Microsoft Word file.

Who can request reimbursement for CPT for an officer who works for more than one agency? (OAC 109:2-18-02(K))
If a peace officer or trooper is appointed by more than one agency when the Pilot Program begins on Jan. 1, 2022, the officer or trooper’s “primary agency” will be the only agency that can receive funding. An officer’s or trooper’s “primary agency” is determined as follows:

1. Full time
2. Part time
3. Other

If a peace officer or trooper holds appointments of equal priority, the agency where the peace officer or trooper was first appointed will be responsible for documenting the training and will be eligible to apply for CPT funding, provided the requirements for funding are met.

If an officer or trooper leaves my agency during the 2022 calendar year, who is responsible for maintaining and certifying the CPT records for that officer or trooper for 2022?
The rules and processes pertaining to this question are still under development. Check back soon.

What type of records must the agency keep? (OAC 109:2-18-05)
The agency must maintain records sufficient to show compliance with CPT requirements set forth in the administrative code. Additionally, as part of the pilot program, the General Assembly has requested a report be created detailing how and when local law enforcement used the funds appropriated to them.

During the 2022 CPT year, the Attorney General’s Office will provide additional instructions on how to report this information so that it can be aggregated and presented to the General Assembly as required by statute.

Who do I contact if I have other questions?
Send an email to CPTquestions@OhioAGO.gov. Additionally, check back here often. If OPOTC staff finds similar questions are being asked repeatedly, the FAQ section will be updated with those answers.

Agencies with questions may contact CPTquestions@OhioAGO.gov, an OPOTA inbox.

Other resources:

• The Ohio Attorney General’s Police Resources webpage
• Training revolution: OPOTA to introduce new online training platform
• OPOTA Online
• The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy website