Ohio State Highway Patrol "Contributing to a Safer Ohio"

Latest News

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will be conducting an OVI Checkpoint in Washington County this weekend.

Patrol debuts new video web series

How does Dodge Charger become a Patrol cruiser? The public now has an exclusive all-access pass that takes them behind the scenes with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. A new web series, Behind the Flying Wheel, takes viewers into some our most interesting operations. The first episode features the new assembly line process through which the Patrol's distinguishable marked cruisers are constructed.

Going beyond sobriety tests, officers learning to gauge drug use

Special training teaches Ohio law enforcement to interpret cause of impairment

Story from dispatch.com

Impaired drivers on Ohio’s roadways have more than a Breathalyzer to worry about, now that law-enforcement officers are being trained as drug detectors.

Dozens of law-enforcement officers statewide have been certified as drug-recognition experts, trained to determine whether someone is impaired from drugs or a medical condition and to give an opinion on what type of drug — legal or illegal — might be causing the impairment. more from dispatch.com

Contract kitchen employee attempted to convey drugs into Southeastern Correctional Institution

Troopers with the Patrol’s Office of Criminal Investigations along with Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC) investigators obtained information that, a contract kitchen employee, Erickson C. Dowler, 25, of Jackson, Ohio was conveying illegal drugs into Southeastern Correctional Institution. Further investigation revealed that Dowler was paid to deliver the drugs to an inmate.  Based on the information gathered during the investigation, a search warrant was obtained and served on Dowler upon his arrival to work at the institution. Dowler was found to have 103 Suboxone strips concealed on his person.  The contraband has a prison value of $10,300. Dowler was incarcerated at the Fairfield County Jail and charged with attempting to convey illegal drugs into a correctional facility, a third-degree felony, and possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony.

Patrol reminds drivers to not get behind the wheel impaired this Memorial Day weekend

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to not get behind the wheel impaired this Memorial Day weekend. Troopers will be working alongside local law enforcement officers in an effort to have a weekend free of impaired-fatal crashes. Memorial Day weekend is traditionally a dangerous holiday period on Ohio roads, particularly for impaired driving crashes. Last Memorial Day holiday, seven of the 13 people killed on Ohio roadways were involved in alcohol-related crashes. more

Troopers and Columbus Police dismantle hydroponic marijuana grow operations in Columbus

Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Special Response Team (SRT) and investigators with the Columbus Division of Police’s Narcotics Bureau dismantled a hydroponic marijuana grow operation in the city of Columbus. Three suspects were arrested. Investigators simultaneously executed search warrants on two residences suspected of conducting indoor marijuana grow operations. more

On the road with Northwest Ohio's K-9 cops

Story from 13abc.com

We often report stories on the Ohio State Highway Patrol's K-9 unit. The dogs help Troopers find huge quantities of illegal drugs in our region every year. But between the big hits is a lot of hard work, and it's not often you get to see them in action. There are five OSHP dogs that work the highways of Northwest Ohio. They've helped track down millions of dollars worth of illegal drugs

13abc's Lissa Guyton says it was an incredible experience to ride a long with the K-9 unit. The best part of their work is that their efforts are making Northwest Ohio a safer place for all of us. more from 13abc.com

Patrol warns motorists to wear a safety belt - Click It or Ticket

Motorists who refuse to wear their safety belts – beware.  The 2013 national Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement mobilization kicks off May 20 to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.

Today members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, in conjunction with the Tri-State Law Enforcement Council – which includes law enforcement agencies from Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky – joined together at the Gallipolis City Park, along the Ohio River, to showcase their combined commitment to saving lives through safety belt enforcement. And their message was clear – Click It or Ticket. more

Recent Criminal Patrol Activity and Investigations

May 17, 2013

An Ohio man is facing felony drug charges after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized a loaded 9 mm handgun, eight grams of heroin, a gram of marijuana and 18 ecstasy pills during an OVI checkpoint in Summit County. On May 17, troopers with the Canton Patrol post were conducting a OVI checkpoint on South Main Street, in the city of Akron when, Noah Eskridge, 23, of Akron entered the checkpoint at approximately 11:59 p.m. more

May 15, 2013

A man from Indiana is facing felony drug charges after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized three-quarters of a kilo of cocaine, worth nearly $63,000 following a traffic stop in Preble County. Troopers stopped a 2007 Dodge Charger, with Indiana registration, for a speed violation, on Interstate 70 eastbound, near milepost 8, in Preble County at 11:20 a.m. on May 15. more

May 16, 2013

Troopers stopped a rented 2013 Ford Taurus, with Kentucky registration for a marked lanes violation on Interstate 75 southbound, near milepost 197, in Wood County at 12:38 a.m., on May 16. Criminal indicators were observed and a Rossford Police Department drug-sniffing canine alerted to the vehicle. A probable cause search revealed a mason jar containing hydroponic marijuana, weighing approximately 125 grams; 82 Hydrocodone pills; and six Adderall pills in the vehicle. The contraband has a street value of $1,560. The driver, Derek B. Bullington, 42, of Taylorsville, Ky., and passenger, Paul L. Witt Jr., 41, of Louisville, Ky., were incarcerated in the Wood County Justice Center and charged with two-counts of trafficking and possession in Hydrocodone, all fourth-degree felonies; and trafficking in marijuana, a fifth-degree felony. Witt was also charged with possession of Adderall, a fifth-degree felony.

May 14, 2013

One man and two women from Ohio are facing felony drug charges after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized two ounces of heroin, 192 oxycodone pills and one ecstasy pill, worth approximately $17,000 following a traffic stop on the Ohio Turnpike in Summit County. Troopers stopped a rented 2012 Chevy Cruze, with Pennsylvania registration, for a marked lanes violation, on the Ohio Turnpike, near milepost 177, in Summit County at 6:47 p.m. on May 14. more

May 14, 2013

Troopers stopped a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer on Interstate 77 southbound, near milepost 50 in Guernsey County at 11:12 a.m., on May 14, after a registration check of the vehicle revealed the owner’s driver license was suspended. Criminal indicators were observed and a Patrol drug-sniffing canine alerted to the vehicle. A probable cause search revealed approximately one pound of cocaine inside the dashboard of the vehicle. Troopers also located a small amount of marijuana in the rear cargo area. The contraband has an estimated street value of $39,000. The driver, Jesse Jones, 30, of Akron was incarcerated in the Guernsey County Jail and charged with possession of cocaine, a first-degree felony.

May 13, 2013

Troopers stopped a 2002 Ford Expedition, with Ohio registration for failing to display a front license plate on Livingston Avenue in the city of Columbus at 4:57 p.m., on May 13. Upon approaching the vehicle, troopers detected an odor of raw marijuana. During interaction with the passenger, he admitted to having marijuana in the vehicle’s trunk. A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed a garbage bag containing nearly 1.5 pounds of marijuana worth and estimated $3,000. The passenger, Stephen D. Thomas Jr., 22, of Columbus, Ohio, was incarcerated in the Franklin County Jail and charged with possession of marijuana, a fifth-degree felony.