BOARDMAN The Boardman Township Police Department became one of eight law enforcement agencies in Ohio to earn accreditation through the Ohio Department of Public Safety's new Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (OCLEAP).

The program was created in 2024 by Governor Mike DeWine to recognize law enforcement agencies that exceed state standards. These address core responsibilities such as seeking to raise and maintain their professional standards, and help support consistency and competence across all Ohio public safety agencies.

The program is voluntary and open to all law enforcement agencies in the state.

With the addition of the eight agencies, there is a total of 24 law enforcement agencies to receive an accreditation through the program.

After earning the accreditation, the Boardman Police Department joins the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office and the Beaver Township Police Department as the only three law enforcement agencies to receive the accreditation in Mahoning County.

Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth said Lt. Mike Sweeney and Officer Bill Woods were a few major contributors who helped achieve the accreditation.

"The Boardman Police Department has worked hard over the last several years to meet the best practice standards of the Ohio Collaborative," Werth said. "Taking that next significant step to become only one of 24 agencies in the state to achieve formal accreditation speaks to the professionalism of the men and women of our department who work hard every day in our community." 

The eight agencies that received the accreditation will be formally recognized at the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Office of Criminal Justice Services 2026 Pathway to Excellence Summit in April.