The Trainer

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Attorney General Cordray visits Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy
Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and Commission. He recognizes the need for a superior training
New Executive Director Announced
facility and recognized the staff that brings that training to our officers. In a statement to the employees
New Executive Director Announced
of OPOTA/OPOTC, A.G. Cordray said, “. . . I have great respect for the training we provide to peace
Within days of taking the oath of office, Attorney General Richard Cordray made it a priority to visit the Ohio Peace Officer Training
officers here in Ohio. I have spoken with my predecessors about the goalsand andhe operations theof thethat
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my predecessors in Ohio.”
about the goals and operations of the program, and they have
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the Commission and Cordray announced that Ron Ferrell had accepted the position as executive director of the Ohio Peace
torneyTraining
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Commission. “Chief
In making Ferrell’s experience
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ficer Training Commission. “Chief Ferrell’s experience running police departments across the state and his wealth of knowledge about Ohio
law enforcement
On his newmake him well-suited
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Chief Ferrell position,”
said, Cordray
“I have always hadsaid.
a great deal of interest in police training, and I look forward to working
On his new appointment, Chief Ferrell said, “I have always had a great deal of interest in police training,
with the staff at OPOTA to provide the best service possible to the law enforcement community.”
On his newandappointment,
I look forward to said,
Ferrell working with
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and I look to the
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to provide the best service possible to the law enforcement community.”

What’s Inside Ohio Peace Officer

Message from the Office of the Executive Director
What’s Inside 2 Memorial
Ohio Peace Ceremony
Office’s
New DARE Graduates 3
Message from the Office of
2009 Amber Alert Awareness Day The Executive Director ....... 2 3 Memorial Ceremony
The annual Ohio Peace officer’s Memorial Ceremony will
Ohio Peace
Continued
OPOTA Officer
Professional
Course Updates Training
and Info......................................... 2 4 be heldOhio
The annual on Tuesday,
PeaceMay 5 at 11:00,
Officer’s at the Ohio Peace
Memorial
Law
OhioEnforcement Recognition
Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony and Retirement ........................ 3 5
Memorial
2009 Ceremony
National
New Faces Crime Victims
of OPOTA Week
............................................................ 46
Ceremony Officer
will beTraining
held on Academy
the
in London
Tuesday,
memorial,
May 5thOH.
please
To participate
, 2009
contact
at in
11:00 AM, at the ohio Peace Officer Training Acad-
Spring Course
Featured GuestUpdates
Instructor ...................................................... 4 7
Kelly Shore at (740) 845-2684.
The annualUpcoming
Ohio Peace OfficerinMemorial emy London, Ohio. To participate in the Memorial,
Changes CCW LawCeremony will be held
...................................... 5 on Tuesday, May 5, at 11 a.m. at
please contact Kelly Shore at (740) 845-2684 or
the Ohio Peace
OPOTAOfficer Training
Course AcademyFeedback
and Instructor in London. Invitations
........................ 5 will be forthcomingKelly.Shore@ohioattorneygeneral.gov.
to all agencies.
Invitations will be forthcoming to all agencies.
To participate in theCourses
Training memorial, please contact Kelly Shore at6(740) 845-2684 or
......................................................................
Invitations will be forthcoming to all agencies.
kelly.shore@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov. If you would like to RSVP
Free Training......................................................................... 7 to the Memorial, please access the
invitation at: www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/le/pom.asp

The
The Trainer
Trainer • •Winter
Winter 2009
2009 Issue
Issue • Volume
• Volume # #

The Trainer • Spring 2009 Issue

Dear Law Enforcement Colleagues,
Since assuming office this January, I have attended all three of the Ohio Peace
Officer Training Commission meetings held to this point. To be frank, we are
embarked on a change of direction in several respects that I hope will meet with your
approval, including new and forceful leadership at the top levels that is committed
to understanding that we should strive to resolve issues, not create or aggravate
them. Thus far, I am impressed with the Commission’s deep desire to improve law
enforcement training and certification in Ohio. Together, the Commission and the
Peace Officer Training Academy staff make a hardworking and motivated team.

I can assure you that our staff, led by Executive Director Ron Ferrell, will not be
content with the status quo. They will make changes as needed, with my full support
and backing. Drawing on the expertise of our law enforcement community, we have
formed a working group to review and improve our administrative procedures and
commanders’ manual. We are also developing new course content for security officers.

We also see it as part of our mission to use technology wherever possible to improve
our services. We are exploring ways to increase our training delivery through eOPOTA
and make our Web site more user-friendly and helpful, including a search engine,
complete form library, up-to-date course catalog and notification page, and online
registration. We already have started a Twitter page to provide current information to
our customers at www.twitter.com/opota.

Above all, we will strive every day to provide the best customer service possible to you.

Please feel free to call either Director Ferrell (740) 845-2677 or myself at
(614) 728-2313 at any time. Let us know how we are doing and how we can improve
and be of help to you.

Sincerely,

Richard Cordray
Ohio Attorney General

The Trainer • Spring 2009 Issue

A Message from the Executive Director
CPT UPDATE

As you are aware, last October the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, in
counsel with the Office of the Attorney General, advised all law enforcement agencies
of proposed Continuing Professional Training (CPT) reimbursements for the calendar
year 2009. At that time, you were advised that two hours of general CPT training
would be reimbursed if the requirements of the applicable Ohio Administrative Code
were satisfied.

The Commission and the Attorney General have recently determined that because of
budget constraints, only one hour of CPT is required for 2009.

This training may be in any topic determined by the law enforcement agency
administrator that serves a recognized law enforcement purpose. Please keep in mind
that you and your officers may access courses online via eOPOTA, through OHLEG,
at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/le/ohleg. New courses will be available soon. All
training and firearms requalification must be completed by Dec. 31.

The Commission’s Executive Director may extend an officer’s time for completion of
the training upon receipt of a written request from the officer’s appointing authority
postmarked no later than Dec. 15. Such requests must contain an explanation of the
circumstances that created the need for the extension.

If you have any questions concerning the 2009 CPT requirements, please do not
hesitate to contact us at (740) 845-2700.

Ronald Ferrell
Executive Director
Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission

The Trainer • Spring 2009 Issue

Rapid Response to Active Shooter Incidents
The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in Richfield provided active shooter training to 40 officers from the Case Western Reserve
University Police Department and the University Circle Police Department in July 2008. The classroom section of the training took place
in the Peter B. Lewis Building on CWRU’s campus. This was the location of a seven-hour shootout between Cleveland Police Department
SWAT and Biswanath Halder on May 9, 2003. Tactical teams from the Euclid Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office and
the Cleveland office of the FBI also responded.

The practical portion of the training was conducted in a student residence hall on the campus. The force on force scenarios relied on Airsoft
weapons, blank firing weapons, alarms, role players and other props to add realism to the training. The course was instructed by Law En-
forcement Training Officers Chris Cerino and Drake Oldham from OPOTA, Richfield. Police Officers James Gnew and Ricky Sheppard,
two members of the Cleveland SWAT Team that apprehended Halder, added to the training by sharing their personal experiences in dealing
with an active shooter.

A personalized Rapid Response to Active Shooter Incidents course was held for 39 officers from the Independence Police Department at a
school located within its jurisdiction. The Cleveland Heights Police Department selected 20 officers to participate in a personalized Basic
SWAT course and Rapid Response to Active Shooter Incidents course using training sites within its jurisdiction. An additional 54 police
officers received this training during three open enrollment courses that were held throughout the 2008 training year.

OPOTA Course and Instructor Feedback Sam Faulkner Retires

We always appreciate students taking the time to respond to the advanced
training follow-up evaluations. These evaluations help us make sure our
training meets the needs of law enforcement and can be applied to the real
world.
Sgt. Fred DePalma of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office took what he
learned in the Fingerprint Comparison Techniques class to aid other
agencies. He said that the training was “excellent” and “well worth the time
and effort.”
In our Crime Scene Reconstruction of Shooting Incidents course, Capt.
Eric Bosko of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office found the instructor
to be “excellent and very knowledgeable about this topic” and the class
“provided excellent resources of information and methods for processing
shooting scenes,” he said.
Bary Murphy of the Groveport Police Department said that our Managing
Criminal Investigation Course was the “best I’ve been to on the subject”
and was “absolutely” worth the time and effort.
When Brad Brooks of Battelle’s security department was asked to rate the
professionalism of the OPOTA staff after completing the How to Instruct
a Female Self-Protection clinic, he said that “Mr. Faulkner is the best, most
knowledgeable instructor I have had.” He added that “the course content
was good and the instructors were excellent.”
After 21 years teaching at the Ohio Peace Officer Training
Academy, Sam Faulkner retired on Jan. 30. Faulkner has
been in law enforcement for more than 25 years.
“The thing that stands out in my career is the
professionalism and enthusiasm of the trainers that I have
had the privilege to work with. Their dedication and hard
work have always been an inspiration to me. I have always
said that I would put Ohio trainers up against any other
trainers in the world. We are truly blessed to have these
unselfish and caring officers,” Faulkner said.
“I hope that my positive attitude was infectious to those
that I trained,” he added.
Faulkner recently was appointed as Chief of Police for
the village of Mechanicsburg and will occasionally teach a
course at OPOTA and other training institutes.
Faulkner is the author of “Use of Force: Decision Making
and Legal Precedents.” This OPOTA publication can be
found on our Web site at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.
gov/le/training/pubs/pota.asp.

Asked to rate the professionalism of OPOTA staff after attending Traffic

Accident Investigation, Michael Phillips of the Summit County Metro
Parks Police Department said that “everyone from the cleaning staff,
instructors and cafeteria workers were professional. Instructional staff
stayed over past class time to assure students understood the material.”

Thanks to all who responded with course and instructor feedback.

The Trainer • Spring 2009 Issue

D.A.R.E. Graduates
The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy
hosted the Oct. 10, 2008 graduation of
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
officers. For two weeks, peace officers
converged on OPOTA in London to receive
certification in the elementary and middle
school D.A.R.E. curricula.
The D.A.R.E. program is an internationally
recognized, model program created in 1983
by the Los Angeles Police Department and
the Los Angeles Unified School District.
D.A.R.E. provides students from kindergarten
through high school with the skills necessary
to recognize and resist pressure to experiment
with drugs and to avoid gangs and violence.
Lessons emphasize self-esteem, decision-
making, interpersonal communications skills
and conflict resolution. It also explores the
consequences of drug abuse and alternatives to
substance abuse.
The most important facet of D.A.R.E. is the
use of specially trained officers to deliver the
message to the students. Deputies and officers
are accepted as authorities on drug abuse
because they deal with drug abuse and its
consequences on a daily basis.
To be selected to attend the two-week (80-
hour) intensive training coordinated by the
Law Enforcement Foundation, officers must
pass through a series of interviews by a panel of
police executives, D.A.R.E. officers and school
administrators.
The D.A.R.E. program is sponsored by the
Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, Law
Enforcement Foundation and the Ohio
Attorney General’s Office.
OPOTA on Twitter
OPOTA is using Twitter! Twitter is a real-time short
messaging service that works over multiple networks
and devices. It is a free service that provides immediate
updates. For information on the Ohio Peace Officer
Training Academy and Commission, log onto
www.twitter.com/opota.
D.A.R.E. OFFICER TRAINING CLASS # 59
Row 1: Officer Ken Delfing, Westlake Police Department; former Ohio Attorney General Nancy Rogers; Direc-
tor Kari Parsons, D.A.R.E. Ohio; Deputy Joe Vince, Franklin Co. Sheriff’s Office;
Row 2: Patrolman Tracey Hill, Rocky River Police Department; Officer Michael Wedding, Newtown Police
Department; Officer Barbara Aylward, Green Twp. Police Department; Deputy Mary Ann Robinson, Wood
Co. Sheriff’s Office; Officer Laura Phillips, Port Huron Police Department (Mich.), Deputy Mark Germann,
Mercer Co. Sheriff’s Office;
Row 3: Patrolman Gregory King, Rocky River Police Department; Officer Charles Brandt, White Lake Twp.
Police Department (Mich.); Patrolman Matthew Robinson, Bowling Green Police Department; Sgt. Vincent
Brammer, Franklin Co. Sheriff’s Office; Officer Sara Hall, Dublin Police Department;
Row 4: Cpl. Zachary Scott, Franklin Co. Sheriff’s Office; Officer Brian Slone, Willard Police Department; Of-
ficer Jerry Fogt, Piqua Police Department; Patrolman Nicholas Bell, Miamisburg Police Department; Patrolman
Thomas Durfinger, Grove City Police Department;
Not pictured: Officer Hyda Slone, Hilliard Police Department
2009 National AMBER Alert Awareness Day
On Jan. 13, communities across the country observed National AMBER Alert Awareness
Day − a day to recognize the collaborative efforts and successes of the AMBER Alert
program to assist in the recovery of abducted children.
The AMBER Alert program, created after the 1996 abduction and murder of 9-year-
old Amber Hagerman, is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies,
broadcasters and transportation agencies. The program activates an urgent bulletin in the
most serious child-abduction cases. A description of the abducted child and any known
suspected abductor is broadcast to millions of media listeners and viewers. The public
becomes the eyes and ears of law enforcement.
The AMBER Alert Plan was launched in Ohio on Jan. 1, 2003. Information on the plan
can be found at www.OhioAmberPlan.org. In 2007, there were 13 AMBER Alerts issued
in Ohio; of those alerts, two alerts included two children each. All 15 children were
recovered safely.
The Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse represents the Ohio Attorney General’s Office
on the Ohio AMBER Alert Steering Committee. The Missing Children Clearinghouse
software on the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway is used to issue the AMBER Alerts
statewide to the media, partners and the general public. The Clearinghouse also assists
in training law enforcement, social service providers and others in the AMBER Alert
procedures and best practices. For more information, visit
www.mcc.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov. To contact the Clearinghouse, call (800) 325-5604.
The Trainer • Spring 2009 Issue
TRAINING OPPORTUNITY
School Shootings: Prevention,
Response and Mitigation of
Campus Shootings in America
School shootings are, sadly, nothing new to Americans. From
Feb. 8 to Feb. 14, 2008, students in such diverse places as Baton
Rouge, La., Memphis, Tenn., Oxnard, Calif., and DeKalb, Ill.,
were shot and killed by their peers.
The topics for this course include prevention strategies, the
history of school shootings and how to respond. This course pro-
vides in-depth case studies of actual events, such as Columbine
High School, Virginia Tech, Case Western Reserve University
and several high-profile incidents where the plots were foiled.
The interactive training will include table-top exercises and role-
playing scenarios.
Although prevention strategies are known to work, they have
had little impact upon shooting incidents once they begin. This
course reviews how students and faculty survived attacks and
how to adopt these tactics for your own survival.
This training is designed to bring together multiple disciplines
to enhance the experience of each participant. As such, a broad-
based group of professionals from education, law enforcement
and government are encouraged to attend.
School Shootings: Prevention, Response and Mitigation of
Campus Shootings in America
Dates (s)
May 18-20, 2009
October 19-21, 2009
2008 OHIO DISTINGUISHED
LAW ENFORCEMENT
AWARDS LUNCHEON
During the 2008 Ohio Distinguished Law Enforcement Awards
Luncheon, former Attorney General Nancy H. Rogers, the Ohio
Peace Officer Training Commission and the Ohio Law Enforcement
Awards Committee honored several Ohio law enforcement officers
for their dedication to law enforcement. Awards were given in
the areas of training, service, group achievement and valor. The
following individuals and/or departments received awards:
Distinguished Law Enforcement Training Award
Specialist John Rose – Cincinnati Police Department
Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award
Chief Jimmy Hughes – Youngstown Police Department
Sgt. Robert Baumgartner – Toledo Police Department
Specialist Linda Day – Cincinnati Police Department
Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Achievement Award
Columbus Division of Police – Operation Help
Multi-Jurisdictional Counterfeit Check Task Force
Summit County Drug Unit
Cincinnati Police Department Task Force
Distinguished Law Enforcement Valor Award
Patrolmen James Donohue and Timothy Wypasek – Akron Police
Department
Sgt. Scott Parks – Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Officers Jason Horner, Regina Williams and Scott Brians, –
Cincinnati Police Department
Sgt. Richard Ketcham and Officers Eric Everhart, Duffy Everhart,
Aimee Ramsey, Jason Bolt, Meghan Hartranft, Melissa Carlson, John
Davis and Carrie Arauco – Columbus Division of Police

Course Number(s) Congratulations to all the recipients.

#05-464-09-02
#05-464-09-03

Location
London

Cost
2009 Two Days in
$225 May Conference
Coordinator
Wayne Wiggins The 2009 Attorney General’s Two Days in May Conference on
Victim Assistance will be held May 7 and 8 at the Dayton
Featured Instructor Convention Center in Dayton. For more information, contact
Ken Hughes Lisa Murray at (614) 995-0881 or lisa.mmurray@
ohioattorneygeneral.gov or visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.

The Trainer • Spring 2009 Issue

VINE Ohio
Please plan to attend the VINE Ohio Regional Training Workshop, which provides law enforcement and victim advocates with important
information on the program.

VINE -- Victim Information & Notification Everyday -- is a free, anonymous, computer-based service that provides anyone – victims, fam-
ily members, neighbors, advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, judges and the general public – access to the custody status of offenders in
Ohio’s jails, state prisons and Department of Youth Services facilities.

There is no cost to attend this 1.5-hour training workshop. Please call (614) 466-1698 for more information or e-mail vine@ohioattorney-
general.gov.

The trainings at each facility begin at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. When registering for this seminar, please state which date and time you
desire. The training locations and dates are as follows:

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 Tuesday, May 12, 2009 Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Toledo Police Academy
Regional Training Center 1205 E. Main St. Owens Community College
6722 Webster St. Ashland, OH 44805 Science & Law Enforcement Center
Vandalia, OH 45377 30439 Tracy Rd.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Walbridge, OH 43465
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Robert D. Campbell Training Center
Clinton County Fairgrounds Expo 2825 Greensburg Rd., Classroom A Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Center North Canton, OH 44720 Hardin County Sheriff’s Office
958 W. Main St. 1025 S. Main St.
Wilmington, OH 45177 Kenton, OH 43326

Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission meetings are held at the

Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in London and begin at 9 a.m. on the following dates:
May 21, 2009
July 16, 2009
September 17, 2009
November 19, 2009

For further information regarding the OPOTC meetings, please visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/le/training.

If your name or address is different than it appears on the address label, please make the appropriate changes on the label and return to
Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, P.O. Box 309, London, OH 43140, Attn: OPOTA Trainer

The Trainer is published by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in association with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and
Academy. If you have information or ideas for the next issue, please contact:

Karen Ressler
Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission
(740) 845-2698
kressler@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov

Contributors to this issue of The Trainer: Kelly Shore, Lisa Murray, Venica Miller, Chris Cerino, Drake Oldham,
Richard Cordray: Ohio Attorney General, Ronald Ferrell: Executive Director

The Trainer • Spring 2009 Issue

The 2009 Ohio Peace Officer
Training Commission
Sheriff Vernon P. Stanforth, Chairman
Fayette County Sheriff’s Office
Washington Court House, Oh.

Paul Denton
Ohio State University Police Department
Columbus, Oh.

Sheriff Thomas G. Maurer

Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
Wooster, Oh.

Keith Bennett
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Cincinnati, Oh.

Dr. Kathleen Sommers

Ohio Department of Education
Columbus, Oh.

Chief Robert B. Williams

Massillon Police Department
Massillon, Oh.

Jeffrey Patzer
Sinclair Community College
Dayton, Oh.

John Lenhart
Deputy Attorney General for Law Enforcement
Representing the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation
Columbus, Oh.

Col. Richard H. Collins

Superintendent of Ohio State Highway Patrol
Columbus, Oh.

The Trainer • Spring 2009 Issue