Buckeye Reporter

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost addressed law enforcement officers at the 2025 Law Enforcement Training Symposium in Sandusky, Ohio, emphasizing the need for strong support and quality training for those serving on the front lines.

“You show up in the face of danger, and you deal with the things that people don’t want to deal with,” Yost said to attendees at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. “But you can only protect and serve if the system supports you properly.”

The event, formerly known as the Law Enforcement Conference and now called LETS, returned for its second year in a new format. It is hosted by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, part of the Attorney General’s Office. The symposium aims to provide officers with essential skills and knowledge to meet current challenges.

This year's symposium took place from September 28-30 and included 39 breakout workshops led by experts from Ohio and across the United States. Workshops featured debriefings on significant criminal incidents such as the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde, Texas; the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida; and a vehicular attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in 2025.

Officers were able to complete their required continuing professional training (CPT) during the event, minimizing time away from their duties.

An awards ceremony was also held during the symposium to recognize outstanding service among Ohio law enforcement personnel. Honorees included Dena Hess of Woodward Opera House in Mount Vernon; Chief Paul Hartinger (ret.) of Blue Ash Police Department; Officer Joel Altman of Sharonville Police Department; Officer Scott Brown of Dublin Police Department; Sgt. Nicholas “Nick” Myrda of Mount Vernon Police Department; Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office and Zanesville Police Department; Ohio Tactical Officers Association; Deputy Christopher Culler of Champaign County Sheriff’s Office; Trooper Colin Acciavatti of Ohio State Highway Patrol; Sgt. Kenneth Wohlheter of Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; and Sheriff Russell Martin (ret.) of Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

More information about the conference can be found on its website.