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Ohio Police Training Panel Reviews Tougher Entry Standards

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LONDON, Ohio (AP) – Ohio’s police training commission is considering beefed up standards that prospective police officers must meet before they undertake their initial training.

Among the topics before the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission Thursday are requirements that law enforcement job candidates pass a drug test, a truth verification test such as a polygraph and take a psychological exam.

Attorney General Mike DeWine has also asked the commission to consider whether other crimes should bar a person from becoming an officer other than the current felony convictions. DeWine also wants candidates to pass a physical fitness test.

Candidates would have to meet these requirements before entering one of Ohio’s police academies.

Many big-city Ohio departments already have such standards. DeWine says it’s time to make them uniform across the state.