CHILLICOTHE, OHIO – The Pickaway-Ross Adult Education Basic Peace Officer Academy, in partnership with Ohio University Chillicothe, has been honored with the Ohio Attorney General’s STAR Academy designation. This prestigious award, presented by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Friday, June 28, 2024, recognizes the exceptional achievements of the academy’s inaugural class.
Attorney General Yost, alongside members of his office, handed the STAR Academy designation to Academy Commander Terri Mikesh. Commander Mikesh played a crucial role in establishing the initial criteria for the STAR program and expressed the significance of this honor.
“Achieving this award brings our efforts full circle,” Commander Mikesh stated, underscoring the academy’s dedication to excellence in law enforcement training. “This designation validates our commitment to providing top-notch training.”
The STAR Training Center program aims to elevate police training quality across Ohio by encouraging academies to exceed basic standards. Recognized academies must meet both mandatory and supplemental criteria, including:
- An 85% pass rate for cadets eligible to sit for the state certification exam.
- An 85% pass rate at the 50th percentile or better for cadets attempting the final physical fitness assessment.
- More than 15 cumulative hours of training in high-risk topics such as crisis intervention, building searches, and search and seizure.
- Training for cadets on technological devices such as body cameras and drones.
The Pickaway-Ross academy has successfully met all these criteria, showcasing its commitment to producing highly capable and well-prepared law enforcement officers.
Director of Adult Education Carrie Fife spoke at the ceremony, highlighting the academy’s impact and the efforts required to bring this vision to life. “The success of our program is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and cadets,” Fife said.
Ohio University Chillicothe campus dean Roberta Milliken was also present, emphasizing the crucial partnership between Ohio University Chillicothe and Pickaway-Ross. Dean Milliken praised the collaboration for making the program a success and an asset to the community, and lauded Commander Mikesh for her leadership.
Pickaway-Ross CTC Superintendent Jonathan Davis added, “Being a career center, running service-minded programs is at the core of what we do. The STAR designation is a tremendous honor for our academy and reflects our commitment to training students who will serve our community with the highest standards.”
The ceremony was held at the Pickaway-Ross Chillicothe Campus, located at 1410 Industrial Drive.
For more information about the designation or for interview requests, please contact Britany Greenwalt, Marketing Coordinator, at [email protected] or (740) 642-1321.
