North Ridgeville Review The Community That Cares
Lorain County Community College – home to the LCCC Police Academy – is one of five locations in Ohio chosen by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to offer Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy advanced training courses for local law enforcement.
The training for Ohio’s law enforcement officers is through OPOTA Close to Home, a collaboration between the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and five regional partners that will extend the reach of OPOTA-certified course offerings.
“There is a lot of change happening in law enforcement training right now, and we are working with experts to deliver the highest-quality training available,” said Yost, whose office oversees OPOTA. “Given that it is one of the toughest times to be in law enforcement, we owe it to our officers to provide course access and options that make sense.”
“It’s extremely important that police officers have access to the most current training to provide the best service to their communities. We are proud to have been chosen as a location where the police in our county and region can look for their professional training needs,” said Richard Thomas, Commander of the LCCC Police Academy.
The LCCC Police Academy opened in 2002 and more than 600 officers have successfully completed the training program since then. The majority of those 600 graduates live and work in Northeast Ohio. In fact, LCCC is the number one location for first responder training – including police officers – in Lorain County.
The OPOTA Close to Home training will benefit local law enforcement agencies because they will not have to address staffing shortages or pay for hotels while officers are away at training.
The advanced training courses at the five local sites will include legal updates, human trafficking advanced investigative techniques, photography, and diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. The 80-hour instructional skills course, required by the state to become a police instructor, will also be offered.
The five initial partners were chosen from a group of stellar applicants based on their location, space, and ability to deliver the OPOTA-certified advanced training to Ohio’s 33,000 peace officers, according to Yost.
The training providers are:
- Lorain County Community College, Elyria
- Kent State University, Kent
- Clark State College, Springfield
- Hocking College, Nelsonville
- Great Oaks Career Campuses, Cincinnati
OPOTA’s main academy and Tactical Training Center in London will continue to provide advanced training as well.
“These operational changes enhance the high-quality training officers need and Ohioans demand, and provide departments with cost-effective, convenient education,” Yost added. “It’s a win for all of us.”
For more information on the OPOTA training or the LCCC Police Academy, visit www.lorainccc.edu/police or call 440-366-7124.
