By Paula Scott

Sheriff Keith Everhart has announced that the Hardin County Sheriff's Office has again been certified by the Ohio Collaborative, a 12-person panel of law enforcement experts and community leaders. The sheriff's office has maintained certification since the collaborative formed in 2015.

The Village of Ada Police Department has also been certified by the panel.

Hardin County data is reported on pages 92-93 of the Law Enforcement Certification 2023 Public Report.

The collaborative is responsible for creating minimum standards for Ohio law enforcement agencies. It evaluates agencies in five areas:

GROUP 1 Standard for Use of Force 

GROUP 2 Standard for Community Engagement 

GROUP 3 Standard for for BiasFree Policing

GROUP 4 Standard for Law Enforcement Vehicular Pursuit 

GROUP 5 Standard for Law Enforcement Response to Mass Protests/Demonstrations 

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office was certified in all groups; the Ada Police Department was certified in groups 1-4.

Additional information reported for Hardin County:

30,696 - Population (2020)

70% - Population Covered by Law Enforcement Agencies in any Phase of Certification 4 - # Law Enforcement Agencies in County 

2 - # Law Enforcement Agencies in any Phase of Certification

50% - Law Enforcement Agencies in any Phase of Certification 

89 - # Law Enforcement Officers in County 

65 - # Officers in County in any Phase of Certification 

73% - Officers in County in any Phase of Certification