Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene was one of many law enforcement officials present with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as he announced a new law enforcement accreditation program for Ohio on Thursday.

During a Thursday afternoon press conference, DeWine announced and signed an executive order to create the Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.

The program will certify law enforcement agencies that implement a series of nearly three dozen standards reflective of best practices in law enforcement.

According to a press release, unlike other states that offer law enforcement accreditation programs, Ohio's program does not charge agencies to participate.

"Accreditation instills public trust and confidence in policing practices, and by offering this new program for free, we're making accreditation attainable for all agencies no matter how big or small," DeWine said.

Agencies participating in the program must meet 31 policing standards that address various core responsibilities in law enforcement including professional conduct, bias-free policing, crisis intervention, community engagement and more.

The rollout of the program will take place in two rounds, with the first operationalizing the program by focusing on 10 agencies of various sizes throughout Ohio including the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office.

After this first round of accreditation, the program will be open to all law enforcement agencies throughout Ohio.