Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine revealed his efforts for law enforcement reform in Ohio Wednesday along with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

DeWine said the death of George Floyd has lead the state to looking at police departments and officers who should not be on the force, 

Most officers are good people who risk their lives every day, the governor said.

The governor said there officers unfortunately who also should not be on the force and need to have action taken.

The governor is asking that all officers are tested for a psychological exam and new officers must have a high school diploma. "Today I am asking the Ohio General Assembly to require that those who apply to take law enforcement basic training must first pass a psychological exam showing they are fit for this career," DeWine said.

Before being certified to serve, background checks must take place.

Also, the governor is mandating officer training for crisis situations, de-escalation, and training to prevent bias.

The governor said all deserve to be protected by their local law enforcement agencies.

To improve transparency in Ohio, the governor said, "I’m asking the Ohio General Assembly to create a standard use-of-force definition and mandate that all agencies in the state report information on these incidents to the Ohio Department of Criminal Justice Services.

DeWine asked the legislature to ban chokeholds for officers unless the officer is justified in using deadly force in situations where an officer is fighting for his or her own life or protecting the life of another.

"I’m also calling on the Ohio General Assembly to mandate independent investigations and prosecutions for all officer-involved shootings and all in-custody deaths. It’s time that this process becomes automatic and mandatory for every law enforcement agency," DeWine said.

The governor also said the goal should be to ensure that every officer in the state has a body camera and directed the Ohio State Highway Patrol to begin outfitting our troopers with body cameras.

DeWine asked our General Assembly to create a law enforcement oversight and accountability board, including members of the law enforcement community, and also members of the public.

This board would be under the attorney general's Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and would work with law enforcement experts from across the state and country to establish standards and a code of conduct for Ohio’s law enforcement profession.

The governor said he has asked the Ohio General Assembly to find a source for funding for training.

The law enforcement community who fail to report violations by other officers could face penalties as other professionally-licensed professions, like physicians and lawyers.

The governor also asked that peace officer certificates need to be treated like licenses, so they could be suspended or revoked as needed.

The board would also be responsible for ensuring that Ohio’s law enforcement officials adhere to this professional code of conduct, and if not, the board would have the authority to suspend and revoke a peace officer’s license when necessary.

Ohio attorney general David Yost said that the day of do-it-yourself investigations for police agencies are done.

"Those bad cops, and you know who they are, are making your job harder," Yost said.

Yost said that the Bureau of Criminal Investigation has averaged 35 independent investigations of Ohio police departments per year.

The AG said training on fourth amendment fourths, and cognitive training and must look at non-weapon related responses to crisis situations.

The Ohio attorney general has gone to the people to solicit feedback on what meaningful law enforcement changes could be implemented to meet the evolving needs of Ohioans. In his Facebook group, “Be Heard By The AG.” Yost is asking for comments, experiences, and suggestions from Ohio citizens and said he has been closely monitoring Ohioans’ ideas for law enforcement reforms.

“We are listening deeply and thinking about what we are hearing,” Yost said. “For those who would rather not wade through the hate that Facebook sometimes unleashes, we created a summary page so you can see what your fellow citizens are saying.”

Ohioans may also submit feedback via email  to BeHeardByTheAG@ohioago.gov.

Yost created the Facebook group on June 5 and has received more than 50 individual ideas. The suggestions are compiled on the Attorney General’s website.

DeWine said many additional groups from the police to citizens groups are helping with these proposed changes to reform the departments.

DeWine said he is excited about the proposals and must get these done now.

When asked what promises the governor he could make the African-American community, DeWine said it is time to take action, and change must come.

The governor was also asked if he would consider changing the body camera laws for access by the public and media, he said he would have to look into before changing the rules on body camera video. 

The Governor also discussed COVID-19 issues briefly and said the Dole Food processing plant in Clark Co. is a new coronavirus hot spot with about 200 employees confirmed with the virus.

The governor said the state has hired new tracers to help with tracing hot spots going forward.