Jay R. Easterling

The Commission discussed 2026 CPT mandate preparations and funding, reviewed Continued Professional Training updates, and approved changes to the January 2026 curriculum, including the addition of ICAT/Crisis Mitigation and the removal of certain lesson plans. Further discussions involved revisions to the Canine Evaluator lesson plan, updates on virtual reality training courses, and adjustments to refresher training requirements for officers returning to service. The Commission also recommended various amendments to the Ohio Administrative Code regarding instructor certification, refreshment training mandates, out-of-state licensure recognition, academy student remediation, and providing training access for hospital security personnel.

The Commission discussed several organizational updates, including the appointment of new commission members and the scheduling of meetings for the upcoming year. The House Committee provided recommendations for leadership positions and meeting dates. The Director introduced new personnel and provided updates on curriculum development, online training initiatives, and operational projects, including changes to Continuing Professional Training requirements. Additionally, the Commission reviewed committee reports, discussed legislation impacts, and approved a one-year extension for the K9 Fentanyl pilot program.

The Ohio Police Officers Training Commission discussed pre-certification requirements for peace officer applicants. Key topics included drug screening, psychological exams, truth verification tests, physical exams, and additional criminal disqualifiers. The commission is urged to implement these recommendations to ensure the best candidates become peace officers. The commission also discussed increasing training hours and establishing standards and a certification process for academies.

The meeting addressed several key issues including the approval of the February 11th, 2025, OPOTC minutes, and the adoption of the 2026 CPT recommendation. The July 2025 Curriculum Release and the January 2026 Release, including the release of ICAT, were presented. There was a discussion about instructor pools and updating the Ohio Administrative Code to allow the executive director to recommend guidelines for approval of instructors.

The meeting included discussions and decisions on various topics. The 2025 Continuing Professional Training (CPT) topics were reviewed and approved, including Legal Updates, Use of Force, Ethics Law, and Search and Seizure. Changes to the curriculum based on the Basic Training program were discussed and updated, including Peace Office Basic, Jailer Basic, Correction Basic, and Private Security. The commission also discussed recommendations from the Blue-Ribbon Task Force Report, focusing on the future of police training in Ohio. The task force recommendations included amending the Peace Officer Basic Training (POBT) curriculum, modernizing physical fitness test standards, establishing certification levels reflecting training and experience, creating a Tactical Patrol Officer Program, incorporating reality-based situational decision-making scenarios, developing integrated lesson plans across training platforms, focusing CPT hours on progressing police services, and broadening annual firearms qualifications standards.