Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther will join Public Safety Director Robert Clark in the swearing in of the Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and 1^st Assistant Chief LaShanna Potts on receiving their OPOTA (Ohio Police Officer Training Academy) certification on Tuesday April 5, 2022 at Columbus Police Training Academy.

Successful completion of the OPOTA exam was the final requirement for Chiefs Bryant and Potts to be certified peace officers in Ohio, and to don the CPD uniform.

To mark the occasion, Director Clark will administer the oath of office to both Chiefs in a ceremonial swearing-in.

There will be a community forum “A View from the Blue” co-hosted by the Columbus Division of Police and the Alpha Sigma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority after the oath. The panel discussion featuring African American law enforcement executives is intended to build an understanding and connection between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Panelists include Chief Bryant, Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Richard Fambro, and Ohio State University Police Chief Kimberly Speers-McNatt. 

Chief Bryant made history as Columbus’ first Chief of Police from outside of the division. Even with more than two decades of law enforcement experience, coming from out of state included the requirement that she and 1st Assistant Chief Potts become OPOTA-certified within their first year of employment. The chiefs completed 176 hours of training, primarily on Ohio-specific statutes and laws. The amount of training required was determined by OPOTA after examining the training they had received in Michigan.

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