Police officers in Ohio will soon be required to have a high school diploma or equivalent under several police training changes cleared by a state panel.
Currently, candidates who want to attend a basic training academy must be at least age 18, not have felony convictions or certain weapons offenses, and have a medical provider's approval. The requirement was among several recommendations from Ohio's police training commission that the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review cleared Monday. Other changes lift the cap on the amount of basic training required to become an officer and require police academy instructors to teach entire basic-training lesson plans. The changes follow calls for more training and oversight in the wake of fatal police shootings and protests in Ohio and nationally. They will take effect Jan. 1.