Ohio Senate Passes Bill That Lowers Minimum Age To Hire Police Officers To 18

Ohio legislators are making moves to put younger police officers on the streets.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports a new bill was passed to lower the minimum hiring age for police officers. Senate Bill 53 passed on May 10, allowing local departments to hire candidates at least 18 years old—a huge drop from the current age requirement of 21.

With a vote of 25-8, bill supporters like Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-OH) feel the change will help to staff police departments properly. “There is a recruitment issue for police officers across this great state,” Roegner said.

Other supporters argued that, according to 13 ABC, people who are 18 are old enough to enlist in the U.S. military and said other cities in the state already have those rules applied, with Columbus hiring officers at 20 years old.

Some opposers of the bill agree that staffing issues need to be rectified but feel this isn’t the right way to do it. Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-OH) called the proposal “misguided.” Others think teenagers aren’t mature enough to handle police duties. Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-OH) agrees with that sentiment but accepts that may not be true for all aspiring young officers. “It is important to note that age and maturity are not mutually exclusive,” Reynolds told the Inquirer.

State representatives aren’t the only ones giving the bill the side-eye. The state’s largest police union and several departments have allegedly spoken out publicly against the bill and the National Fraternal Order of Police. “We do not believe a teenager can be a police officer,” FOP lobbyist Mike Weinman said. “We fear these officers, who can’t purchase a beer, will be left to fend for themselves to handle challenging calls that could expose them to second-guessing and trauma.”

There’s a long road for this bill that needs House approval before heading to the desk of Gov. Mike DeWine.