COTC is a catalyst in this community — not only creating change, but continually creating solutions when change happens naturally. An innovative partnership between its Peace Officer Basic Training program and the Licking County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is a prominent example of the college’s pragmatic approach.

COTC and the LCSO first experimented with the partnership in October 2023. With officers set to retire and divisions set to expand, “we realized we were in a major staffing deficit,” said LCSO Colonel Chris Barbuto. “We needed to find a way to staff ourselves with high-quality people, and fast.”

Barbuto, one of dozens of COTC graduates working in the LCSO, quickly contacted his alma mater and made a creative pitch. Rather than waiting to hire cadets until after they finished the academy, the agency would effectively hire them while they were still in the program. The LCSO would even start paying them as they went through, saving trainees money along the way. Once they graduated, they would be hired immediately. COTC was sold.

Thus began the police pipeline. In the partnership’s initial experiment, the agency adopted the college’s crop of cadets. The LCSO has since supplied two entire cohorts. Some of its current officers serve as instructors in the academy, familiarizing their future coworkers with specific software and procedures.

Through the partnership, the agency has so far hired and retained 31 COTC graduates. It has filled its ranks and found the radar of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who praised the partnership when he spoke at the academy’s 2024 graduation ceremony. “Very, very few agencies in Ohio are fully staffed — but we are,” Barbuto said. Though it’s seen statewide as a success, the colonel questions whether this method can be replicated just anywhere. “I want to say what we’re doing is a model, but to do it, you need a great partner like we have in COTC. It’s hard to find.”

The model might not last — which is partially the point. The LCSO pioneered the program out of desperation, not necessarily hoping to forever reform their hiring practices. “I’ll be honest, I hope we don’t have to do this again,” Barbuto said. “We can’t promise we’ll be doing this every year, but if staffing needs continue, this partnership isn’t going away.”

Even if the partnership’s future isn’t certain, one fact is: these two proven, problem-solving institutions have created the blueprint for a successful, professional partnership. It’s just another example of COTC serving as an ally to local employers. Even as the world around it changes, the college’s flexibility and capability in that role stays the same. “COTC has a proven track record of turning out high-level people ready for their profession,” Barbuto said. “It’s important to them, and that’s why this project and this relationship work.”