Upcoming Reforms to Peace Officer Basic Training: What Agencies and Academies Need to Know

To our law enforcement colleagues,

As you are aware, the Blue Ribbon Task Force commissioned by my office released a Special Report in February 2024 recommending major updates to Peace Officer Basic Training. These recommendations were adopted by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission in May 2024, with implementation set to begin on July 1.

Here is a closer look at the changes, including key dates, and ways for academies to prepare:

1. New curriculum implementation timeline

• Optional early adoption: Academies may begin using the new POBT curriculum starting July 1, 2025.

• Mandatory compliance: All academies must fully comply with the revised curriculum by Jan. 1, 2026. 

2. POBT curriculum changes: What’s in and what’s out (72 hours total):

Courses that have been removed or reassigned:

• Blue Courage (16 hours): Now offered post-graduation

• First Aid, CPR, AED (8 hours): Becomes a prerequisite, available online

• ICS/NIMS (8 hours): Becomes a prerequisite, available online

• NHTSA Speed Measuring Device (40 hours): Post-graduation advanced training

Courses added to the new POBT curriculum that aim to make training more relevant and effective for today’s peace officers:

• Basic & Interpersonal Communications and Mediation: 44 hours

• Incident Debrief Training: 4 hours

• Active Shooter/Threat Response & Duty to Render Aid: 8 hours

• ICAT (Critical Decision-Making, Tactical Breathing, De-escalation, Crisis Mitigation): 16 hours

3. Physical fitness standards: New graduation option: Although entry-level physical fitness standards remain unchanged, OPOTC has introduced some flexibility in the graduation requirement:

• Recruits are eligible to graduate with a BASIC certification if they pass two of the three fitness categories (sit-ups, push-ups, 1.5-mile run) and achieve at least 75% of the expected progress from start to finish in the third category.

• Since this change was implemented in 2024, 91 additional cadets have graduated — recruits who under the previous standard would not have been eligible to graduate.

• Recruits may retest within one year to move from BASIC certification to a higher certification.

The goal is to maintain high standards while addressing real-world recruitment and retention challenges.

4. Academy support

We have taken several steps to ensure early and clear communication with all training academies:

• Five school commander conferences have been held in the past six months to train commanders on the changes.

• Direct notifications have been sent to all Ohio law enforcement agencies.

• Feedback has been encouraged and received; we are committed to continuing this open line of communication as academies transition to the new model.

The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy is working with the General Assembly on changes to the Ohio Administrative Code that will be more inclusive of the those permitted to serve as instructors on numerous subjects now required under POBT.

These reforms position us to better train, support, and deploy the officers our communities need. Thank you for your continued leadership in shaping Ohio’s law enforcement professionals.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the implementation plans, please contact OPOTA at 740-845-2700.

Sincerely,

Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General