The Lead.
Hundreds of local law enforcement officers started at Marion Technical College’s police academy. Thirty classes have passed through the doors of the Ohio Peace Officer’s Training Academy (OPOTA) since 1995.
Chief Jay McDonald with Officer Katrina Rostorfer after she received an excellence award from the Central Ohio Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 2022.
“I wanted to be a police officer since I was little,” said Marion Police Officer Katrina Rostorfer, a graduate of the OPOTA class of 2021. “My dad was a firefighter. I wanted to help people. The community, now more than ever, needs good police officers.”
Academy Has Record of Success
In 2024, 100% of the graduates passed the state exam. Over the years, Perry’s graduates have a 99% passing rate. Class sizes average 15 students. Seven graduates had job offers within a week of graduating. All are anticipated to have jobs by the end of summer. The 2024 graduates of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and their instructors.
The academy moved from the main campus to downtown Marion in 2021. The classroom is named after alumni Brandy Winfield, a Marion County deputy who was killed in the line of duty in 2004. His son, Landon Winfield, graduated the academy in June.
Landon Winfield received the Top Physical Fitness Award from Commander Greg Perry at the OPOTA graduation in June.
Experienced Instructors
The instructors have deep law enforcement experience. Robert Chidester, a retired FBI agent, started the academy. The current commander, Greg Perry, is an attorney, former prosecutor and current Morrow County sheriff’s deputy.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the instructors. The commander is phenomenal,” said Lt. Ed Brown, MPACT coordinator with the Marion Police Department. “We use him here at the department. When I need to put on a class, I’ll ask him to do it.”
Greg Perry received the Distinguished Law Enforcement Training Award from Ohio Attorney General David Yost in 2019.
Its 25 instructors include many local law enforcement leaders. They include:
- Major Chris Adkins, and Major B. J. Gruber with the Marion Police Department;
- Chief Adam Lakey of the Mount Gilead Police Department;
- Morrow County Sheriff John Tinton.
- Officer Matt Creps with the MARMET Drug Task Force presents to classes on narcotics and other illegal drugs.
Officers Adkins, Brown and Creps are alumni of the academy.
Chuck Jones, superintendent of the Ohio Highway Patrol, speaks to students at a career expo. He was an instructor at the academy early in his career.
“Trooper Kamal Nelson graduated with the first class in 1995. He drives to Columbus
every day and comes home to Marion at night to teach for us. He enjoys giving back
to the community,” Perry said. “In my mind, society benefits when their police are
members of their own community.
That practical experience benefits students.”
“The officers have the experience and may be handling a call one night and teaching about it the next day,” Brown said.
Career Offers Variety
“Law enforcement is so awesome because you can do so many things. It’s never the same thing every day. I’m a hostage negotiator, a crisis intervention specialist, an evidence tech, a field training officer, I teach classes not only to law enforcement but also to citizens on scams and internet crimes. There’s so many different avenues you can go down. It’s an awesome career,” Brown said.
“I wouldn’t be where I’m at without MTC. If you would’ve asked in 1996 if I would be sitting here as a major, I would have said no way,” Adkins said. “But I stayed in my town, stayed where I grew up and raised my kids here. MTC afforded me to stay close to home and not leave my community that I wanted to work in. I love every minute of it.”
Marion Police Donate to the Academy
From left to right: Mike Stuckey, Greg Perry, Dr. Ryan McCall, Chief Jay McDonald and Dr. Amy Adams.
The partnership with local law enforcement benefits the students and the community. The Marion Police generous donated a cruiser to the academy so students can practice driving.
“I’m an MTC alumni. We’ve hired a lot of MTC alumni because we know what we’re getting and we know the quality of the education that they’re getting that we’re getting so it’s just a natural fit for us to bring those people on board,” Brown said.
Paying for College
A Pell grant or the G.I. Bill cover the entire cost of college tuition. Students are also eligible for loans and other financial aid.
Graduates earn 30 hours of college credit which is one year of an associate’s degree. Those looking to advance in their careers can finish with either an associate’s degree in criminal justice or law enforcement and then transfer their credits to earn a bachelor’s degree.
The next academy starts Aug. 26. The application deadline is Aug. 4.
For more information:
- Law Enforcement Degree (mtc.edu)
- AcademyFlyer.pdf (mtc.edu)
- Police and Detectives : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
- Email: enroll@mtc.edu
- Call: (740) 389-4582
- Schedule an appointment: https://visit.mtc.edu
