Sheriff’s Office completes new program

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office is among the first 10 Ohio law enforcement agencies statewide to complete the new Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. The announcement was made on Thursday.

The program was created last year to recognize law enforcement agencies that voluntarily meet or exceed nearly three dozen state standards that address various core responsibilities such as professional conduct, bias-free policing, crisis intervention, and community engagement. 

Along with the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office, the newly accredited agencies range in size from small to large – the Dayton Police Department, Dublin Police Department, Fairborn Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Stark County Sheriff’s Office, and the University of Toledo Police Department.

“The law enforcement agencies achieving accreditation have reached the state’s highest standards in professional excellence, integrity, and accountability,” Governor Mike DeWine. “Accreditation is important because it sends a message to the public that they’re being served by an agency that’s among the best of the best.”

“I am excited that the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office was able to achieve accreditation with the Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program,” Sheriff Riggenbach said. “This process involved a lot of time and effort by a lot people within the Sheriff’s Office, but I believe this process was worth it. I viewed the opportunity to go through this process as another way to continue to improve the level of professionalism here at the Sheriff’s Office. The men and women of the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office work hard every day to provide the best service we can to the citizens of Van Wert County.” 

“Accreditation will be another way that we continue to strive to better serve our community,” Riggenbach added. “The opportunity we were given to go through this process and without being charged financially to do it, was certainly a benefit. I hope other law enforcement agencies in Ohio choose to go through this process.”

Leadership at the newly accredited agencies volunteered last year to become the first agencies to seek accreditation. The program, which is the only state-administered accreditation program in the nation that does not charge law enforcement agencies to participate, is now open to all law enforcement agencies in the state. 

The Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is administered by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board, which approved the agencies’ accreditation at its regular meeting yesterday afternoon. The board also approved the addition of a new accreditation standard focused on the testing of ballistic evidence. 

“This new standard will save lives by requiring accredited Ohio law enforcement agencies to submit all firearms and fired cartridge casings recovered or seized in connection with a criminal investigation to be analyzed and entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and National Tracing Center eTrace system,” said Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.  “This information sharing and cooperation will help agencies close cases and bring justice for victims and their families.

The accreditation program expands on a separate program – the Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Certification Program – which has certified more than 600 law enforcement agencies on specific best practices regarding use of force and law enforcement recruitment, hiring, and screening. All certification standards are considered mandatory for accreditation.  

The Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board was created in 2015 to strengthen law enforcement’s relationship with the public. It works in coordination with the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services and consults with the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association.