COLUMBUS, Ohio — Starting next month, training for police officers in Ohio will be undergoing some changes.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio is getting ready to implement some changes to the curriculum for training police officers

  • Some "outdated" curriculum will be removed or reclassified for more relevant training for modern policing

  • There have also been some recent changes to the fitness requirements for graduation, due to the need for officer recruitment
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According to a press release from Attorney General Dave Yost, these changes to the curriculum will prioritize “modern-day policing issues.”

“We’re giving Ohio’s peace officers what they need to do their job — real-world tools and the training to handle the toughest calls,” Yost said in the release. “This isn’t just reform — it’s a significant investment in the future of policing in Ohio.”

Training academies will begin using the new curriculum on July 1. They come at the recommendation of the Yost-commissioned Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Future of Police Training.

“Incoming cadets to any Peace Officer Basic Training (POBT) academy will now see 72 hours of outdated curriculum replaced with practical, high-stakes training tailored to today’s law enforcement environment, including new courses on active shooters and threat response, critical decision-making, crisis mitigation and de-escalation, communications and mediation, and incident debriefs,” the release reads.

Here's what courses are being removed or reclassified, per the release:

  • Blue Courage: Post-graduation offering
  • First Aid, CPR, AED: Online prerequisite
  • ICS/NIMS: Online prerequisite
  • NHTSA Speed Measuring Device: Post-graduation elective

Here’s what’s being added, per the release:

  • Basic & Interpersonal Communications & Mediation
  • Incident Debrief Training
  • Active Shooter/Threat Response + Duty to Render Aid
  • ICAT (Critical Decision-Making, Tactical Breathing, Crisis Mitigation, De-escalation)

This is in addition to a slight change to fitness standards for graduation introduced last year. It had been approved by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC).

“Although entry-level standards remain unchanged, cadets are eligible to graduate if they pass two of the three fitness test components (sit-ups, push-ups, 1.5-mile run), as long as they meet at least 75% of expected progress in the third component,” the release reads.

The release states that the task force recognized the need to support recruitment for police departments and that 91 more cadets were able to graduate in the last year, ones who would have been disqualified without the change.

“Updating Ohio’s standards ensures we align with today’s job demands—allowing us to strengthen the force, better reflect our communities, and increase the number of qualified officers on the streets without compromising integrity or readiness,” Yost said in the release.

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