COLUMBUS - Members of the 119th Basic Peace Officer Class received training certificates in a graduation ceremony held today at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy. The 25 class members will assume duties as peace officers for 17 Ohio agencies.

The 17-week basic course began in February. The course was developed by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Council and offers comprehensive instruction in more than 150 topics, including criminal law, community relations, physical training, and patrol car operation.

Officer Garrett L. Fernander, New Albany Police Department, was selected class speaker by his fellow class members and addressed the assembly.

Class honors went to the following:

• Overall Performer – Officer Kevin D. Frith, Ohio University Police Department
• Academic – Officer Scott M. Frank, Bowling Green Police Division
• Firearms – Officer Robert D. Waltz, Twinsburg Police Department
• Physical Training – Officer Kevin D. Frith, Ohio University Police Department
• Top Driver – Officer Robert D. Waltz, Twinsburg Police Department

Chief Michael Etter, Trotwood Police Department was the featured speaker for the ceremony and addressed an audience of graduates, friends, relatives, and law enforcement officers. Director Henry Guzmán, Ohio Department of Public Safety, Deputy Commissioner John Carson, Ontario Provincial Police, and Assistant Director Lou Agosta, Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy also addressed the audience. Colonel Richard H. Collins, superintendent of the Patrol, also provided remarks and presented the certificates of training to the graduates.

Name	Hometown	Department
Ayers, Matthew R.	Toledo	Defiance Police Department
Bell, Matthew F.	Mentor	Parma Heights Police Department
Bernow, Bryan	Parma	Parma Police Department
Elliott, Tyler T.	Springfield	Springfield Police Division
Fernander, Garrett L.	Grove City	New Albany Police Department
Frank, Scott M.	Bowling Green	Bowling Green Police Division
Frey, Anthony C.	Cincinnati	West Chester Police Department
Frith, Kevin D.	Athens	Ohio University Police Department
Jacob, Trevor A.	New Richmond	Forest Park Police Department
Keehl, Mathew D.	Bainbridge Twp.	Parma Police Department
Love, Michael R.	Columbus	Maumee Police Division
Kibler, Wendy L.	Springfield	Springfield Police Division
Mack, James R.	Cleveland	Parma Police Department
McCutcheon, James E. II	Springfield	Springfield Police Division
Moran, Kelly T.	Parma	Medina Police Department
Nichols, Deric R.	Springfield	Springfield Police Division
Pauley, Nicholas D.	Xenia	Centerville Police Department
Pennington III, William R.	Minford	Portsmouth Police Department
Perry, James M.	Madison Village	Mansfield Police Department
Pfeifer, Derek T.	Washington Court House	Washington Court House Police Department
Phillips, Jason L.	Springfield	Springfield Police Division
Smith Jr., Frederick E	Cincinnati	Forest Park Police Department
St. John, Damien T.	Dayton	Worthington Division of Police
Waltz, Robert D.	Parma	Twinsburg Police Department
Wilson, Tyler J.	New Carlisle	Centerville Police Department