Ohio to Expand Driver’s Ed with $4.5M in Taxpayer Funds

More and more Ohio teenagers wait until their 18th birthday to get their driver’s license, and the state plans to spend $4.5 million in taxpayer funds to try and change that.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced 34 grants through the Creating Opportunities for Driver Education program to increase driver training capacity at nearly 100 locations around the state.

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Announces New Grant Program to Support Human Trafficking Survivors

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Wednesday details of a new program to help victim service agencies supply the needs of survivors of human trafficking.

DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly established the new Direct Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Grant Program as a component of the state’s new operating budget. As part of this program, nonprofit groups now have access to $4 million in financing to effectively support the rising number of sex and labor trafficking victims needing assistance.

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Governor Mike DeWine Unveils New Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Columbus

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) joined state, local, and federal leaders in Columbus on Tuesday to unveil the new Central Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC).

According to the press release, the center is located within the Ohio Department of Public Safety and operates in partnership with the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

This new centralized law enforcement

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New Ohio School Bus Safety Task Force Holds First Meeting

A new state task force in Ohio focused on thoroughly evaluating the safety of the state’s school buses held its first meeting on Monday at the Ohio Department of Public Safety headquarters.

As previously reported by The Ohio Star Ohio Governor Mike DeWine formed the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group last month following a Northwestern Local School District bus crash that killed one student and injured more than two dozen in Clark County.

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Creates Task Force to Evaluate School Bus Safety

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that he has formed a new task force to thoroughly evaluate the safety of the state’s school buses.

This announcement follows a Northwestern Local School District bus crash last week that killed one student and injured more than two dozen in Clark County.

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Ohio to Award over $35 Million in Retention Incentives for Thousands of Ohio First Responders

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Wednesday that the state is awarding over $35 million in retention incentives to thousands of Ohio first responders in recognition of their dedication to public safety and ongoing commitment to public service.

Over 10,000 law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel from 309 agencies will receive the retention incentives totaling over $35 million as part of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program, which DeWine created last year to address first responder burnout caused by under-staffing and overall job stress.

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Ohio to Award Nearly $500,000 to Boost Law Enforcement Recruitment

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and his Department of Safety Director Andy Wilson have announced that the state of Ohio is awarding nearly $500,000 in funding to law enforcement agencies throughout the state to help aid in the recruitment of new officers.

31 law enforcement agencies in 21 counties will receive the grant funding totaling $445,449 as part of the second round of funding offered as part of the new Ohio Law Enforcement Recruitment Grant Program. The program was created by Gov. DeWine in 2020 to enable police departments throughout Ohio to focus on recruiting efforts.

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Ohio Narcotic Intelligence Center Warns People of Varying Forms of Fentanyl Found in State

The Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) has released a public safety notice in order to warn Ohioans of the various forms of fentanyl being found across the state.

According to ONIC Executive Director Cynthia Peterma, ONIC has found fentanyl in six different physical forms in Ohio, including powder, tablets, chalk, rocks, black tar, and gum. The various forms reported in Ohio contained fentanyl primarily mixed with other substances.

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Ohio Narcotic Intelligence Center Releases Public Safety Notice Connecting Emojis to Potential Drug Activity

The Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) has released a public safety notice in order to warn parents that children are using emojis to advertise, sell, and acquire illegal substances on social media and in electronic communication.

According to ONIC Executive Director Cynthia Peterman, this kind of emoji usage is becoming more popular around the country, and the analysis of electronic devices seized in current drug investigations has shown activity in Ohio related to the use of emojis in this way.

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Ohio Department of Natural Resources Spends $3.5 Million on Body Cameras for Wildlife Officers

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that natural resources and wildlife officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will now be outfitted with body cameras.

Officers of the ODNR must uphold all state legislation and laws within their areas of responsibility as certified peace officers. Last year DeWine ordered ODNR to begin outfitting its officers with body cameras. The agency used $3.5 million in funding from the Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to buy the new cameras.

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The Ohio Department of Public Safety to Start Armed School Staff Essential Training Next Year

Governor Mike DeWine announced Monday that the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) has finished setting the required training known as the Armed School Staff Essential Training (ASSET) Curriculum.

The OSSC developed the curriculum to meet the requirements of House Bill (HB) 99 sponsored by state Representative Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.) which gives Ohio school boards and governing bodies the option to arm staff members.

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Gov. DeWine Quintuples Number of Ohio National Guard Troops Sent to D.C. for Presidential Inauguration

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) authorized 1,000 active Ohio National Guard (ONG) members Friday to assist federal authorities in Washington, D.C.  Earlier in the week DeWine signed an executive order to activate ONG troops – estimating 200 would go to America’s capital city.

“The activation of additional Guard members follows a request from the U.S. National Guard Bureau Thursday evening for extra support,” read a statement released by the Governor’s communications team.

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