Explanation
BACKGROUND: It is necessary to appropriate $103,522.00 from the unappropriated balance of the special revenue fund, entitled the Police Continuing Professional Training Fund. This appropriation will be used by the Division of Police for officers to attend training seminars, instructor development and to purchase training supplies.
In 2007, Ohio Senate Bill 281 was signed into law, thereby enacting a mandatory continuing professional training program for Ohio peace officers. These training requirements can be found in the Ohio Revised Code 109.802. Ordinance No. 0087-2008, passed on February 4, 2008, authorized the Public Safety Director to participate in the state-funded continuing professional training reimbursement program. For calendar year 2007, the State mandated all peace officers and troopers to attend or receive 8 hours of in-service training. The Division of Police complied with this mandate and on February 13, 2008, the Division received reimbursement in the amount of $279,260.00. Reimbursement for 2008 mandated hours amounted to a deposit of $216,480 in 2009. Reimbursement for 2009 mandated hours amounted to a deposit of $37,700.00 in 2010. Finally, reimbursement for 2010 mandated hours amounted to a deposit of $39,965. Due to budget constraints at the State level, this program has ceased, and the funds being appropriated in this legislation are considered carryover from prior years. State law mandates that these funds be kept in a separate account and will be used only to pay the costs of Continuing Professional Training programs.
There is also a need to transfer funds from Fund 223, subfund 065 D.A.R.E. to the Police’s Safety Initiative Fund 016. This transfer is necessary because D.A.R.E. no longer exists for the Columbus Division of Police, and the Auditor's Office advised that in order to use these funds, and "close out" this subfund, the funds would need to be transferred and appropriated. Since the original intent of thes...
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