Blue Courage
Blue Courage is a transformational two-day leadership development workshop designed for all levels of the organization. This revolutionary educational process is a holistic approach to developing our people. It will touch hearts, awaken minds, and ignite spirits through dynamic presentations and learning processes. If your interest is self-improvement, increased engagement, stress-management, developing resilience, igniting culture change, combating cynicism, while improving overall health and well-being, then Blue Courage is waiting for you to answer the call!
March 14-15, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OPOTA Richfield
4055 Highlander Parkway
Richfield, OH
Cost: $175
March 17-18, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OPOTA Main Campus
1650 St. Rt. 56 SW
London, OH
Cost: $205
April 4-5, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OPOTA Richfield
4055 Highlander Parkway
Richfield, OH
Cost: $175
April 7-8, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OPOTA Main Campus
1650 St Rt 56 SW
London, OH
Cost: $205
Peace Officer Basic Training Legal Instructor
This course prepares instructors to teach topics in the legal unit in Peace Officer Basic Training. Topics include: teaching techniques, platform teaching skills, facilitative learning, case briefing, Ohio Revised Code, laws of arrest, search and seizure, civil liability, and testifying in court.
You will brief and present court cases and teach a course of instruction using a prepared commission basic training lesson plan from the legal unit. Students are encouraged to bring laptop computers. You should plan on work outside of the classroom in the evenings to prepare for class presentations.
March 21-25, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OPOTA Richfield
4055 Highlander Parkway
Richfield, OH
Cost: $250
Optics for Law Enforcement
There are many optical devices in today’s market that are available to law enforcement officers who carry patrol rifles. This
free, four-hour class will introduce students to electronic sights, magnified rifle scopes, and binoculars. You will learn the physical principles upon which these optical devices operate.
Several optical devices, manufactured by several different companies, will be available for you to inspect, evaluate, and determine which are suitable to your needs.
Having direct access to these optics and learning their practical applications will be of immediate benefit to your daily duties.
April 6, 2016 ǀ 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
OPOTA Main Campus
1650 St. Rt. 56 SW
London, OH
Cost: Free
September 26, 2016 ǀ 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
OPOTA Main Campus
1650 St. Rt. 56 SW
London, OH
Cost: Free
Understanding the Impact of PTSD on Combat Veterans
This four hour seminar is designed to provide all attendees with an understanding of the veteran’s wartime experience, the devastating impact of the exposure to multiple traumatic events, the complications of homecoming to an environment that promotes isolation and abandonment, and triggers that both elicit and aggravate potentially volatile and high risk situations. More than 2.6 million Americans are veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many have been deployed to the wartime theater of operations multiple times, complicating their ability to return to civilian life and to overcome the obstacles of making this transition repeatedly.
This program will enable participants to develop an understanding of the OIF/OEF challenges and experiences, develop an awareness of risk factors associated with making the transition to civilian life, provide basic knowledge of the impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and traumatic brain injuries on veterans in order to identify and de-escalate crises among this population in their encounters with law enforcement. The course will also offer comprehensive information to direct veterans to desperately needed medical attention and mental health services.
April 7, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – Noon
OPOTA Richfield
4055 Highlander Parkway
Richfield, OH
Cost: Free
May 4, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – Noon
OPOTA Main Campus
1650 St. Rt. 56 SW
London, OH
Cost: Free
Subject Control: Use of Neck Restraints
Today’s law enforcement officers are confronted by an increasing number of violent individuals, many of whom are under the influence of drugs or some agitated psychosis.
Neck restraints, although a controversial topic in today’s society, remain a viable option for use of law enforcement officers under the right circumstances. Experts agree that they are a valuable tool used by officers, if done properly and used reasonably.
Supported by modern research, this course offers to train and update officers, trainers, and administrators on how to incorporate proper use of neck restraints into their training.
Some topics to be covered in this course:
-
Two categories of neck restraints
-
Risk factors
-
Proper application
-
Recognizing submission
-
Excited delirium
-
Priority of care
This is a physically active course, so you must be in good physical health to attend.
It is not required that any student have a neck restraint applied to them as part of this course.
April 12, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OPOTA Main Campus
1650 St. Rt. 56 SW
London, OH
Cost: $65
Ohio Gang Investigator Specialist Training
Most gang activity is found in urban settings, both large and small. But gangs can exist in the suburbs and rural communities. That’s why the OPOTA Ohio Gang Investigator Specialist Training course could be of interest to departments of many sizes throughout the state.
But no matter where they may be located, challenges to investigating gangs include knowledge of, and training in, accessible databases, awareness of the state’s criminal statutes that can be used to fight gun violence and gang activities, and understanding the use of particular, sophisticated long-term investigation techniques. Participants will be exposed to all these during the free, two-day gang investigator course this coming January.
You will also learn about the use of search warrants, arrests, and Terry stops as they relate to gangs.
The class agenda includes insight into the benefits and capabilities of electronic surveillance, as in the use of cameras and tracking devices. Information gleaned from telephone and text transactional, or subscriber and billing, records and other communications can be vital.
Case studies detailing intelligence gathering to investigation through prosecution will be studied.
Just as gangs can be operating in communities of various sizes, the course instructors bring with them experience ranging from local, to state, to federal jurisdictions. They include investigators, intelligence analysts, and prosecutors, including members of the Cleveland Police Department Homicide and Gang Units.
April 18-22, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OPOTA Main Campus
1650 St. Rt. 56 SW
London, OH
Cost: $300
April 25-29, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OPOTA Richfield
4055 Highlander Parkway
Richfield, OH
Cost: $300
IED/Bomb Week
The threat of IED/bomb attacks is a global problem. In recent years their impacts were most severely felt in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Nigeria. However, we have seen that threat spread across to countries in Europe, Asia and to the United States.
A reason that IED/bombs are so prevalent is that they are inexpensive and many are relatively easy to make. They can be made from many different types of materials, such as everyday objects or commercial or military explosives.
Another reason IED/bombs are prevalent is their effectiveness. A small device can cause mass casualties, inflict a great deal of physical damage, and create panic and disruption.
There are countermeasures and regulations being adopted to prevent attacks and the flow of IED/bomb making materials. Yet the development of IED/bombs often evolves faster than the solutions.
IED/Bomb Week is an attempt to train all first responders in many aspects of IED/bombs. The class runs for a week (April 18 – April 22), but is broken into three sections.
Monday (April 18) & Tuesday (April 19) – The first section was developed for first responders. Students will learn how to identify IED/bombs, how to respond, how to identify secondary devices, and how to respond to a possible bombing incident in conjunction with an active shooter.
Wednesday (April 20) – The second section was developed for command staff. Students will learn about IED/bomb recognition, how to respond, equipment acquisition, large scale incident coordination, and how to implement IED/bomb incidents into policy.
Thursday (April 21) & Friday (April 22) – The third section was developed for evidence technicians and investigators. Students will learn about IED/bomb recognition, identifying components, equipment acquisition, securing evidence, explosive analysis (pre and post blast), and joint investigations.
Each section will be given its own certification. Students are welcome to attend as many sections of IED/Bomb Week as they would like.
The classes will be taught by instructors from the Division of State Fire Marshal, the Columbus Bomb Squad, and OPOTA.
April 21-22, 2016 ǀ 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Evidence Technicians and Investigators)
OPOTA Main Campus
1650 St. Rt. 56 SW
London, OH
Cost: $130