Columbus, OH -- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Feb 13th, announced that 10 Ohio law enforcement agencies are now the first in the state to complete the new Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.

Governor DeWine created the program last year to recognize law enforcement agencies that voluntarily meet or exceed nearly three dozen state standards that address various core responsibilities such as professional conduct, bias-free policing, crisis intervention, and community engagement.

The newly accredited agencies include the Dayton Police Department, Dublin Police Department, Fairborn Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Stark County Sheriff’s Office, University of Toledo Police Department, and Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office.

"The law enforcement agencies achieving accreditation on Feb 13th, have reached the state's highest standards in professional excellence, integrity, and accountability," said Governor DeWine. "Accreditation is important because it sends a message to the public that they're being served by an agency that's among the best of the best."

Leadership at the newly accredited agencies volunteered last year to become the first agencies to seek accreditation. The program, which is the only state-administered accreditation program in the nation that does not charge law enforcement agencies to participate, is now open to all law enforcement agencies in the state.

The Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is administered by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board, which approved the agencies' accreditation at its regular meeting on Feb 12th, afternoon. The board also approved the addition of a new accreditation standard focused on the testing of ballistic evidence.

“This new standard will save lives by requiring accredited Ohio law enforcement agencies to submit all firearms and fired cartridge casings recovered or seized in connection with a criminal investigation to be analyzed and entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and National Tracing Center eTrace system,” said Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “This information sharing and cooperation will help agencies close cases and bring justice for victims and their families.”

Law enforcement agencies interested in accreditation can find more information on the Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program's website. Collaborative staff work with agencies seeking accreditation to ensure their local policies and practices meet state standards.

The accreditation program expands on a separate program - the Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Certification Program - which has certified more than 600 law enforcement agencies on specific best practices regarding use of force and law enforcement recruitment, hiring, and screening. All certification standards are considered mandatory for accreditation.

The Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board was created in 2015 to strengthen law enforcement’s relationship with the public. It works in coordination with the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services and consults with the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association.