COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine announced a new pilot program Wednesday that will partner law enforcement agencies with higher learning institutions to recruit people into law enforcement careers.
The College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program is designed to find and recruit "highly qualified individuals," according to a release from the governor's office.
It will work by connecting criminal justice programs at colleges and universities across the state with law enforcement agencies.
DeWine says the goal of this program is to equip candidates with the necessary skills before they obtain their badge. Part of that includes connecting criminal justice majors with law enforcement mentors to potentially give students "real-world experience."
Through the program, students will be guaranteed a job as soon as they graduate, DeWine said. Students will have to apply for the program, which is said to be a rigorous process. Those students must undergo background checks, as well as different types of testing.
It's something Deputy Joey Clark from the Franklin County Sheriff’s office says he wished he had in school.
“Personally yes, I went to a smaller college also, criminal justice major. This will challenge those students. This will also give them a better understanding concept of what we go through on a daily struggle,” said Deputy Clark.
According to DeWine, the Ohio Civil Service Exam typically draws roughly 200 candidates. This year, only 37 applied.
“The inability of law enforcement agencies to recruit and obtain qualified and professional officers if this trendline continues certainly is not… is not good,” said DeWine. “Failure to keep the ranks of our law enforcement agencies full has the potential to create a public safety crisis in this state.”
The pilot project will begin by working with just Cedarville University and Central State University.
“The hiring of a law enforcement officer is the single most important function of any law enforcement agency,” said Dr. Patrick Oliver, Criminal Justice Program director at Cedarville University.
So far, 11 different law enforcement agencies across the state have expressed interest in the program. So far the agencies looking to participate include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Dublin Police, Reynoldsburg, and Ohio State Highway Patrol.