6. Since 1993
On January 21, 1994, Colonel Thomas Rice retired from active service after 33 years of service. Today, he serves as Safety Director for the city of Columbus. Selected to succeed Colonel Rice was Major Warren H. Davies, commander of the Office of Investigative Services.
It was during 1994 when the Patrol obtained its state-of-the-art mobile command and communications vehicle. Purchased with funds derived from drug-related seizures, the command vehicle is a fully equipped, mobile Patrol post which is kept in a constant state of readiness in the event of natural disaster, civil unrest, or other emergency situation.
Also added to the Patrol fleet during this time was a new jet helicopter purchased to replace the Bell helicopter which crashed during the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility uprising. The helicopter is equipped with a forward-looking infrared devise to assist in locating missing or wanted persons in darkness.
In July 1994, the division was granted reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The reaccreditation represented the satisfactory completion of a continuous process of thorough, agency-wide self evaluation, concluded by an exacting outside review by a team of independent assessors.
Keeping pace with the rapid improvement of computer technology, the Patrol converted several of its functions to the electronic medium. The storage of crash reports and case investigation was digitalized with the implementation of an electronic document storage and retrieval system in the Patrol's Central Records unit. As reports are received at headquarters, they are electronically scanned and indexed, then stored on CD-ROM. About 2,800 standard crash reports -- over 35,000 pages -- can be stored on a single disk which, when placed in the system's 14-bay computer tower, can be instantly retrieved through the input of keywords. The new system eliminated all backlogs -- normally two to three weeks -- for the first time ever. Impressed with the public service improvements, the International Association of Chiefs of Police awarded its first-ever Award of Excellence to the Central Records unit.
It was also at about this time that the Patrol launched its worldwide website on the Internet.
The Motor Carrier Assistance Program (MCSAP), a special unit governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Rules, joined ranks with the Patrol in October 1995. MCSAP inspectors are trained in mechanics, load security, and commercial vehicle laws, and patrol the highways to abate violations concerning commercial drivers and his/her equipment.
Another personnel addition was the activation of "Merlin", the Patrol's explosives detecting canine. Assigned to a Patrol police officer at the Capital Square, Merlin is trained to identify 11 different potentially explosive substances.
In the summer of 1996, a new officer safety tool, dubbed the COP (Caution Ohio Police) Initiative was launched. Created to offset a communications deficiency which hindered the communication of critical information between agencies, the COP Initiative is an early warning system which alerts officers to potentially dangerous suspects. When a person is suspected of fleeing a crime, police officials can make a COP entry in LEADS (Law Enforcement Automated Data System) to assure that if an officer contacts the suspect before a proper warrant can be obtained and placed on-line, the officer will be aware of the potential danger. Although a COP entry cannot be used as a basis to detain or arrest, it does help assure that officers don't blindly approach a potentially deadly situation.
History of another sort was recorded in August 1996, when Lisa J. Taylor became the Patrol's first female lieutenant. Previously an assistant commander at Norwalk and Marion, Lt. Taylor reported to Norwalk to become the first-ever female post commander. Later she was promoted to captain and became the commander of the Jackson District where she remains today.
To ease the workload of dispatchers during inclement weather, the Patrol implemented its toll-free, 1-888-2OH-ROAD phone service. Each post maintains weather and construction updates for its counties, and callers can access the information for any county using a touch-tone phone prompt.
Colonel Davies retired in February 1997 after 30 years of service. His successor was Colonel Kenneth B. Marshall who remained Patrol superintendent until his retirement on June 30, 2000. Colonel Kenneth L. Morckel succeeded him, followed by Colonel Paul McClellan.
Note: This history file will be continually updated as important cases are adjudicated and the historical impact of various Patrol activities becomes apparent. For more recent information, check the Media Releases page.