In December 2014, Gov. John R. Kasich signed Executive Order 2014-06K, announcing the Ohio Task Force on Community-Police Relations after a series of incidents in Ohio and around the nation highlighted the challenges between the community and police. The task force included 24 members representing the governor, legislature, attorney general, the Supreme Court of Ohio, local law enforcement, organized labor, local community leaders, the faith-based community, business, municipalities and prosecuting attorneys.

On April 29, 2015, after a series of public forums held around the state, the task force delivered its final report to the Governor, who in turn signed Executive Order 2015-04K, established the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board (Ohio Collaborative) to oversee implementation of recommendations from the Ohio Task Force on Community-Police Relations.

The Ohio Collaborative, a 12-person panel of law enforcement experts and community leaders from throughout the state, established state standards – for the first time in Ohio’s history – on August 28, 2015, for use of force including use of deadly force and agency employee recruitment and hiring that can help guide law enforcement agencies in Ohio. These new standards will hold everyone accountable and instill a greater confidence with the public. The Collaborative works closely with partners, including the community and law enforcement agencies, to implement the new standards. All law enforcement agencies are expected to meet or exceed these new standards as they develop policies and procedures to meet these new expectations. The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS), a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, communicated those new standards to Ohio’s nearly 960 law enforcement agencies. The Ohio Collaborative also provided model policies as a resource for agencies, and OCJS serves as a contact and is available to assist agencies with implementation. As required by the Executive Order, OCJS publishes an annual report listing which state and local law enforcement agencies have adopted and fully implemented the new minimum standards. Currently, nearly 500 agencies employing over 26,000 officers (representing 74 percent of all law enforcement officers in Ohio and most of Ohio’s metropolitan departments) are participating in the certification process.