Gahanna police outline 2026 priorities: accreditation, camera expansion, mental‑health liaison and SRO staffing
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Summary
During the finance committee on Nov. 3, police leaders told council their 2026 priorities include completing CALEA accreditation, expanding Flock camera coverage, reinstating an in‑house mental‑health liaison role, continuing training and wellness programs, and staffing adjustments that include support for school resource officers.
Police and public‑safety leaders briefed the finance committee on Nov. 3 about priorities included in the 2026 operating and staffing requests. Director Becker and Chief Spence described operational changes tied to the city’s new 825 facility and a push for accreditation, training, wellness programs, mental‑health response capacity and targeted technology investments.
Deputy Chief Lawless, who is leading the accreditation work, described the CALEA process (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) as a standards‑based review covering more than 450 policies and ongoing compliance documentation. Lawless said the department is completing an on‑site assessment and expects a CALEA decision within weeks.
Lieutenant Cohaagen and Deputy Chief Lawless summarized outcomes tied to the Flock camera network. The department operates 21 cameras and is seeking to expand to 36 to cover major entry points and thoroughfares. Cohaagen said the system has aided investigations, including a missing‑person recovery that crossed state lines and multiple arrests, and reported roughly 80 successful investigative leads since deployment. He explained privacy safeguards: each Flock search is audited, staff must enter a case number and law‑enforcement reason, Flock retains data for 30 days and the city retains downloads only when used as evidence.
Leaders also described a mental‑health liaison position that had earlier been contracted through an outside provider. After a short contract placement, staff recommended converting the role back to a city employee to ensure consistent response authority, coverage and administrative oversight. Director Becker said the funding would be reallocated from contract services back to operating to support an on‑staff mental‑health liaison.
On school resource officers, police said four SROs are currently in place: two are cost‑shared and anchored at the high school, one rotates among the middle schools, and one functions as a rover to cover elementary and other campus needs. The department requested an additional midyear hire to align staffing with the 2026–27 school year and to provide relief for training, leaves and added campus demands. Council members asked about recruiting and lateral hiring; staff said recent lateral recruitment has been productive but that the department remains selective about fit.
Chief Spence told council the department’s ability to recruit and retain officers has improved because of local organizational culture and council support. The department said other operating asks include expanded use of training facilities at 825 and continued employee wellness programs, including peer assistance and resiliency sessions.
Finance committee members asked for follow‑up details on staffing counts, camera placement and formal policies governing mental‑health response; police leaders committed to providing job descriptions, recruitment timelines and policy summaries as part of the ongoing budget review process.
