Attorney General Yost Honors Ohio Law Enforcement, Touts Best-in-Class Training at Annual Symposium

(SANDUSKY, Ohio) - Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost visited Ohio law enforcement officers at the 2025 Law Enforcement Training Symposium today to commend their courage, dedication and sacrifice and highlight the importance of first-rate training to prepare them for the ever-evolving challenges of the line of duty.

"You show up in the face of danger, and you deal with the things that people don't want to deal with," Yost told those gathered at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Sandusky. "But you can only protect and serve if the system supports you properly."

Returning for a second year in a reimagined format, LETS - formerly known as the Law Enforcement Conference - continued to set a new standard for law enforcement training in Ohio. Hosted by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, a division of the Attorney General's Office, the symposium is designed to equip officers with the tools and knowledge they need to effectively serve their communities.

The symposium, held Sept. 28-30, featured 39 breakout workshops presented by experts from throughout Ohio and the country. Among those sessions were debriefings of three high-profile criminal incidents centered on lessons gleaned from the tragedies: the 2022 shootings at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas; the 2018 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida; and the 2025 Bourbon Street vehicular attack in New Orleans.

This year's event again offered officers the convenience of completing their mandatory continuing professional training (CPT) on-site in one location, reducing time away from their communities.

This afternoon, Yost joined other leaders in Ohio law enforcement for an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding service and achievements in public safety.

The 2025 awards and recipients are:

Victoria Allen Civilian Leadership Award

Dena Hess, Woodward Opera House, Mount Vernon (Video here) Training Award



Chief Paul Hartinger (ret.), Blue Ash Police Department (Video here) Community Service Award (two awards given)



Officer Joel Altman, Sharonville Police Department (Video here)



Officer Scott Brown, Dublin Police Department (Video here)

Blue Line Award

Sgt. Nicholas "Nick" Myrda, Mount Vernon Police Department (Video here) Group Achievement Award (two awards given)



Muskingum County Sheriff's Office and Zanesville Police Department (Video here)



Ohio Tactical Officers Association (Video here) Exemplary Response Award



Deputy Christopher Culler, Champaign County Sheriff's Office (Video here) Valor Award (two awards given)



Trooper Colin Acciavatti, Ohio State Highway Patrol (Video here)



Sgt. Kenneth Wohlheter, Carroll County Sheriff's Office (Video here) Lifetime Achievement Award



Sheriff Russell Martin (ret.), Delaware County Sheriff's Office (Video here) For more information, visit the conference website.

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