Police meet new standards

COLDWATER - The Coldwater Police Department is among Ohio's first four law enforcement agencies to become certified in new statewide standards.

A news release issued Thursday by the Ohio Department of Public Safety listed the department as certified in new standards for use of force, use of deadly force and employee hiring. The standards were established by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board as part of the state's efforts to strengthen community and police relations.

Coldwater chief Jason Miller said the department became certified Wednesday. The process took the department weeks and included a lot of paperwork.

"It was quite daunting," he said. "There was testing everybody had to do and changing of polices, as well as compliance documents to show you're complying with standards."

In addition to paperwork, department members had to familiarize themselves with the new policies and pass tests to gauge their understanding.

The process cost the department nothing, Miller said. It will have to recertify annually.

The biggest changes to the department regulations involved hiring, he said. While the department in the past has followed the general idea of the new guidelines, which outline non-­discrimination, equal employment and other employment practices, the policies had never been spelled out.

"The big one would be the hiring standards. We have those set in stone now where before we just kind of had a list of things we tried to follow," he said. "Now there are definite things you have to meet, the steps are all spelled out."

Miller said he's received calls from other departments seeking advice as they work through the sometimes complicated process.

The standards, which can be found at ocjs.ohio.gov/ohiocollaborative/standards, were developed in 2015. Medina Police Department, Colerain Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office also have been certified.

"By engaging in the certification process, these four agencies are demonstrating a commitment to providing outstanding services in their communities," Executive Director of the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services Karhlton Moore said in the release.

Certifications will continue throughout 2016 and a list of compliant agencies will be published in March 2017.