109:2-1-12. Certification before service and re-entry requirements

(A)

(1) No person shall, after January 1, 1966, receive an original appointment on a permanent basis as a peace officer unless such person has previously been awarded a certificate by the executive director attesting to satisfactory completion of the basic course prescribed in rule 109:2-1-16 of the Administrative Code.

(2) No person shall, after January 1, 1989, be permitted to perform the functions of a peace officer or to carry a weapon in connection with peace officer duties unless such person has successfully completed the basic course and has been awarded a certificate of completion by the executive director.

(3) All peace officers employed by a county, township, or municipal corporation of the state of Ohio on January 1, 1966, and who have either completed at least sixteen years of full-time active service as such peace officer or have completed equivalent service as determined by the executive director, may receive an original appointment on a permanent basis and serve as a peace officer of a county, township, or municipal corporation, or as a state university law enforcement officer without receiving a basic training certificate signed by the executive director.

(B) Credit for prior equivalent training or education:

(1) An individual who has successfully completed prior training or education and who is appointed as a peace officer in Ohio may request credit for that portion of the basic training course which is equivalent to training previously completed. Training or education which shall be accepted includes, but is not limited to, training or education certified by another state, another government agency, military service, the state highway patrol or a college, university or other educational institution.

(2) The applicant shall provide to the executive director documented evidence of the training. The executive director shall review the record of the prior training or education and make a determination of the training the person shall be required to complete in a commission-approved basic training school.

(3) Applicants that have five or more years of full-time experience in a position in another state that is substantially similar to that of an Ohio peace officer within the previous four years shall only be required to complete all statutorily mandated peace officer basic training topics as well as topics that contain material specific to Ohio.

(4) Credit for equivalent training may also be given under this rule for experience when the applicant can, through a means that the executive director has approved in advance, demonstrate to the executive director a level of proficiency that is equivalent to the proficiency required to complete one or more portions of the basic training course.

(5) All applicants, regardless of the amount of credit received, shall be required to sit for and successfully complete the statewide certification exam set forth in rule 109:2-1-11 of the Administrative Code and, prior to carrying a firearm during the course of their offical duties, shall successfully complete a firearms requalification course pursuant to section 109.801 of the Revised Code.

(6) If the applicant disputes any of the training assigned by the executive director, he or she may request a hearing before the commission as provided in sections 119.06 and 119.07 of the Revised Code. The commission shall conduct the hearing as required by sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code.

(7) Evidence of successful completion of a commission approved basic training course shall not be accepted for prior equivalent credit.

(C) All persons who have previously been appointed as a peace officer and have been awarded a certificate of completion of basic training by the executive director, or those peace officers described in paragraph (A)(3) of this rule who terminate their appointment from an agency, will have their training eligibility reviewed by the executive director upon reappointment.

Upon appointing a person to a peace officer position as described in division (A) of section 109.71 of the Revised Code, the appointing agency shall submit a request for the executive director to evaluate the officer's training and eligibility to perform the functions of a peace officer. Such request will be made on a form provided by the executive director and shall be submitted immediately upon appointing the officer.

(D) Breaks in service/requirements for update training evaluations:

(1) All persons who have previously been appointed as a peace officer and have been awarded a certificate of completion of basic training by the executive director, or those peace officers described in paragraph (A)(3) of this rule who have had no appointment as either a peace officer or a trooper for one year or less, shall remain eligible for re-appointment as a peace officer and shall not be required to complete additional, specialized training to remain eligible for re-appointment as a peace officer.

(2) All persons who have previously been appointed as a peace officer and have been awarded a certificate of completion of basic training by the executive director or those peace officers described in paragraph (A)(3) of this rule who have not been appointed as either a peace officer or a trooper for more than one year but less than four years, shall, within one year of the re-appointment date as a peace officer, successfully complete a refresher course prescribed by the executive director. This course and appropriate examination must be approved by the executive director and shall be sufficient in content and subject material to refresh that officer's knowledge of the role, function, and practices of a peace officer in light of that officer's past training and experience. Officers have one year from the date of re-appointment to complete the refresher course, and may perform the functions of a peace officer during that period. In the event specialized training has been mandated during the period between the date of the original appointment and the re-appointment date, said individual shall be required to successfully complete that mandated specialized training within one year of re-appointment as a peace officer or else demonstrate to the executive director a level of proficiency in that area of specialized training that is equivalent to the proficiency of one who has completed such training.

(3) All persons who have previously been appointed as a peace officer and have been awarded a certificate of completion of basic training by the executive director or those peace officers described in paragraph (A)(3) of this rule who have not been appointed as either a peace officer or a trooper for more than four years shall, upon re-appointment as a peace officer, complete the basic training course prior to performing the functions of a peace officer.

(4) Notwithstanding the training requirements set forth in paragraphs (D)(1), (D) (2) , and (D)(3) of this rule, a member of the national guard or a military reservist who has previously been appointed as a peace officer and has been awarded a certificate of successful completion of basic training by the executive director or those peace officers described in paragraph (A)(3) of this rule who are members of the national guard or military reserves and have not been appointed as a peace officer for one year or more due to active duty in the uniformed services, when such absence from the appointment is as a direct result of the person's mobilization to active duty service, shall, upon return from active duty, be immediately eligible for appointment as a peace officer and shall not be required to meet the training requirements set forth in paragraphs (D)(1), (D)(2), and (D)(3) of this rule provided that they present satisfactory evidence of the service member's discharge under honorable conditions or release under honorable conditions from active duty or national guard duty within six months after the discharge or release.

(E) Any person who has been appointed as a peace officer and has been awarded a certificate of completion of basic training by the executive director and has been elected or appointed to the office of sheriff shall be considered a peace officer during the term of office for the purpose of maintaining a current and valid basic training certificate. Any training requirements required of peace officers, including continuing professional training pursuant to section 109.803 of the Revised Code, shall also be required of sheriffs who wish to maintain a current and valid peace officer certificate during their term in office.

(F) Any person who has been awarded a certificate of completion of basic training by the executive director and has been appointed as a deputy inspector general under section 121.48 of the Revised Code shall be considered a peace officer during the term of the deputy inspector general's appointment for the purpose of maintaining a current and valid basic training certificate. Any training requirements required of peace officers, including continuing professional training pursuant to section 109.803 of the Revised Code, shall also be required of deputy inspector generals who wish to maintain a current and valid peace officer certificate.

(G) Every person who has been re-appointed as a peace officer and who must complete training pursuant to paragraph (D)(1) or (D)(2) of this rule shall cease performing the functions of a peace officer and shall cease carrying a weapon unless the person has, within one year from the date of re-appointment, received documentation from the executive director that certifies that person's compliance with the training requirements listed in this rule.

(H) The executive director may extend the time for completion of the training requirements based upon written application from the appointing authority of the individual. Such application will contain an explanation of the circumstances which create the need for the extension. Factors which may be considered in granting or denying the extension include, but are not limited to, serious illness of the individual or an immediate family member, the absence of a reasonably accessible training course, or an unexpected shortage of manpower within the employing agency. Based on the circumstances in a given case, the executive director may modify the completion date for any training assigned. An extension shall generally be for ninety days, but in no event may the executive director grant an extension beyond one hundred eighty days.

(1) Should the executive director deny the request for an extension, he shall notify and advise the appointing authority that the appointing authority may request a hearing before the commission as provided in sections 119.06 and 119.07 of the Revised Code. The commission shall conduct the hearing as required by sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (F) of this rule shall remain in effect until such time as the commission makes the determination to grant or deny the request.

(I) This rule shall not be construed to preclude a township, county, or municipal corporation from establishing time limits for satisfactory completion of the basic course and re-entry requirements of less than the maximum limits prescribed by the commission. If a township, county, or municipal corporation has adopted time limits less than the maximum limits prescribed above, such time limits shall be controlling.

Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 10/16/2019 and 10/16/2024
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: R.C. 109.74
Rule Amplifies: R.C. 109.73, R.C. 109.75
Prior Effective Dates: 07/01/1976, 03/01/1982, 01/15/1988, 08/21/1990, 03/25/1991, 10/01/1993, 01/01/2000, 06/09/2006, 10/16/2009, 01/01/2015, 01/16/2016, 02/15/2019

Prior History: (Effective: 2/15/2019
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 10/16/2019
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: R.C. 109.74
Rule Amplifies: R.C. 109.73, R.C. 109.75
Prior Effective Dates: 07/01/1976, 03/01/1982, 01/15/1988, 08/21/1990, 03/25/1991, 10/01/1993, 01/01/2000, 06/09/2006, 10/16/2009, 01/01/2015, 01/16/2016)