Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in Ohio
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
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| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in Ohio. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Ballotpedia in 2023 examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population through the lens of a series of research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicate how Ohio handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | YES |
Condition: Disciplinary grievances go through the grievance/arbitration procedure and may be appealed to arbitration within 15 days of the response to the grievance; Selection: Both parties agree to a panel of six umpires who serve in rotation; Provider: N/A; Arbitrator authority: The umpires decision is final and bindingThe Office of Collective Bargaining (OCB) has the authority to grant, modify, or deny the grievance at arbitration. Arbitration should be scheduled within 240 days of the appeal. | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: Police Department, State of Ohio; Types: Written reprimand, suspension, working suspension, demotion, removal; Restricted aspects: Suspension not to exceed 5 days shall only be implemented after approval from Office of Collective Bargaining; Challenge/appeal process: Union grievance procedure, but will be limited to challenge of if employee's action constitutes a violation of work rule, not the level of discipline itself.Employer shall follows principles of progressive discipline. Employee may be placed on paid administrative leave with purpose of investigating the event or condition and shall not be considered discipline or grievable provided the employee does not lose pay or benefits. Exceptions can be found in ORC Section 124.388(B) | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
Training and counseling
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | NO |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Administrative investigation procedure for misconduct | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | YES |
Conditions: N/A; Timeline: Must be given prior to the interview; Content: Must include the nature and specifics of the investigation | |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | NO |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | YES |
Employees will be in on-duty paid status for the duration of all investigation interviews. | |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | YES |
Describes disciplinary action involving footage | |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: State-run database; Storage authority: Personnel office of the Department of Public Safety; Types of records: N/A; Timeline: Written reprimands 2 years, disciplinary action 3 years; Access and use: Any bargaining unit member shall have the right to inspect their personnel file; Use in decisions: N/A | |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | YES |
All non-probationary employees have an annual performance review Performance reviews are used for merit positions, raises, and promotions; employees must receive and sign a copy of their review; employee may appeal any section that is not labeled as "meets" or "above" standards | |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | NO |
State retains right to hire/transfer employees | |
See also
Footnotes
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