Dayton Police celebrates launch of Ohio’s statewide law enforcement accreditation program

COLUMBUS — The Dayton Police Department was in Columbus when Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order establishing a statewide law enforcement accreditation program.

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He signed it on Thursday intending to build a police force that communities can trust.

“You can’t put a price on professionalism in public service,” said DeWine. “Every citizen in Ohio deserves to live in a community where its police force is guided by the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and excellence. Accreditation instills public trust and confidence in policing practices, and by offering this new program for free, we’re making accreditation attainable for all agencies no matter how big or small.”

Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal was with nine other law enforcement agencies from across the state. The department posted photos on its social media page.

The rollout of the program will take place in two rounds, according to the governor’s spokesperson.

The first round will operationalize the program by focusing on 10 agencies of various sizes located throughout the state.

This includes four local police agencies: Dayton, Fairborn, Sidney, and Springfield, the spokesperson said.

The program will open to all law enforcement agencies across Ohio after the first round of accreditation.

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