(COLUMBUS, Ohio) (1-14-25) – The Office of Criminal Justice Services announced today the recertification of 17 Ohio law enforcement agencies for state standards established by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board.

Agencies completing the recertification process previously adopted and implemented the initial two standards regarding use of force and hiring and recruitment.

The recently recertified agencies include:

  • Austintown Police Department (Mahoning)
  • Bellbrook Police Department (Greene)
  • Bexley Police Department (Franklin)
  • Cincinnati Police Department (Hamilton)
  • Cleveland Heights Police Department (Cuyahoga)
  • Columbus State Community College Police Department (Franklin)
  • Eaton Police Department (Preble)
  • Euclid Police Department (Cuyahoga)
  • Geauga County Sheriff’s Office
  • Marion Township Police Department (Allen)
  • Mason Police Department (Warren)
  • Mercer County Sheriff’s Office
  • Northwood Police Department (Wood)
  • Oakwood Public Safety Department (Montgomery)
  • Ohio University Police Department (Athens)
  • Rocky River Police Department (Cuyahoga)
  • Waite Hill Police Department (Lake)

Overall, there are 636 certified agencies throughout Ohio that have met the initial standards. Additionally, 29,934 officers (representing 91.03% of all law enforcement officers in Ohio, including most of Ohio’s metropolitan areas) are employed by an agency that is involved in some form of the certification process.

The Collaborative was formed in 2015 to create uniform standards for Ohio’s law enforcement agencies. The first two standards were developed by the Collaborative in 2015 to improve the trust between citizens and law enforcement officers.

Additional standards established by the Collaborative address community engagement, bias-free policing, body-worn cameras, vehicular pursuits, telecommunicator training, employee misconduct, mass protests, agency wellness, interaction with minors, interaction with people in crisis, and property room management and evidence control. The standards are the first of their kind in Ohio and were developed and established by the Collaborative as part of the state’s efforts to strengthen community and police relations.

The state has partnered with the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police to help certify Ohio’s 900-plus law enforcement agencies on a process to ensure that they are in compliance with Ohio’s standards. The complete list of agencies who have and have not been certified can be found at by accessing the Collaborative website.