In the days after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine pledged that he would introduce new legislation to improve the work of the state's police force.
On Wednesday, DeWine made his first proposals public.
At a special news conference to announce his proposals, DeWine revealed that he's asking the Ohio General Assembly to require that any police applicants first pass a psychological exam before he or she begins training. DeWine said that the addition of this requirement would help the state prevent tragedies in the future and make sure that only those with the right psychological makeup are admitted into an academy and eventually issued a peace officer certificate.
Additionally, DeWine announced that he has directed Ohio Criminal Justice Services to fund six total hours of de-escalation training, use-of-force training, and implicit bias training in 2020 for any Ohio officer who has not yet received training on these critical topics this year. DeWine said this measure would ensure that all officers have the knowledge and skills to properly protect the public.
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