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Local police respond to reform proposals

ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- Local officers say training, high standards, community connections and accountability are keys to success in law enforcement as reforms are being considered at the state and national levels.

The conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd last week and other incidents of alleged excessive force turned attention to the issue.

On Wednesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced proposed legislation for police reform that could include a variety of measures.

Possibilities being considered are a database to track instances of use-of-force, better background checks for newly hired officers, more stringent training requirements and establishing a state disciplinary board with the power to remove or suspend officers' licenses.

Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland said his officers all complete a police academy course and must continue mandatory training.

"We've always been in compliance with all mandatory trainings that either the governor or the attorney general puts out for law enforcement officers in the state of Ohio," he said.

"I understand. I may not agree with everything that's being said, but there's bad apples in law enforcement," McFarland continued regarding proposed reforms. "You see things that happen on the news, and if it creates accountability for people to be at their best, then so be it and we'll manage and get through it."

McFarland said officers on the firing range complete scenarios about when a gun should or should not be fired. They also have used the attorney general's mobile training facility. He plans to have officers certified as trainers in different fields and to open that instruction to different agencies.

"I feel we have gone above and beyond our training at keeping the officers at the utmost peak," he said. "There's always more training out there."

He added there have been few deadly encounters between police and civilians in the area.

"It's not often that we have use-of-force incidents here in town," McFarland said. "Occasionally you might run into an issue where you might get a resistant arrest, but nothing serious."

McFarland emphasized that his department demands that officers use body cameras when responding to a complaint or incident. He said officers are conscious of their conduct and that they are being observed or recorded.

He also said hiring quality officers is a high priority.

"Any potential hire, we do a very thorough background check on them," McFarland said.

However, there are grim realities to consider.

"Right now in our area, there isn't a lot of people to choose from to hire for positions," he said. "I think right now is a time where no one wants to be a police officer, and I think that's probably going to get worse with time. Here within the next five to 10 years, there's going to be a good amount of people from our department that are going to be retiring and we're going to have a difficult time finding people to take their place."

He said standards will remain high.

"I do not want a bad apple here," he said. "They're going to be on the up-and-up if they're going to get a job here."

He also commented on recently released videos of police shootings and the accompanying debates.

"We have been in those situations and similar situations," he said. "We've been in some pretty sticky situations where deadly force could have been used and it wasn't. When you're working in the middle of the night and you're standing in a dark alley and all you have is a little flashlight in your hand and you've got 9 million things running through your mind of whether you're going to make it out of that alley or not, I've had that happen to me numerous times. ... It's a lot for someone to take on, making those decisions in that brief couple of seconds," McFarland said.

Martins Ferry police Sgt. Beth Scales echoed many of his comments.

"I am a huge advocate for continual training. We can never get enough training. We all are eager to go to training. Unfortunately, COVID has put a damper on that, but we still can do online trainings," she said. "Nothing's as good as hands-on training."

She agreed the department's background checks are thorough.

"But if somebody's got something in the closet, it's in the closet, and sometimes it takes a little bit of time for it to come out," she said. "But good luck finding anyone who wants to be a police officer now."

She and McFarland also stressed the importance of officers interacting with the community.

"We have a good rapport with the residents and the people we interact with on a daily basis. They respect us, we respect them, and I have not seen any real issues within the Martins Ferry community," Scales said.

City police also offer guidance for young people dealing with difficult decisions, she said.

"We go above and beyond to support our community," Scales said. "We go ... more than above and beyond for the youth in our community. We don't want them to fear us. We don't want them to see what's going on in social media and fear us. If they need us, I want these kids to feel comfortable. ... I want these kids to feel safe with us and trust us and to know that we're going to protect them 200 percent."

The St. Clairsville Police Department also has been active in community outreach efforts, particularly in checking homes and even delivering meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The department did not respond to requests for comment for this report.

In Jefferson County, Sheriff Fred Abdalla also values high police standards.

"I've probably got the toughest policy of anybody in the state as far as police brutality, excessive force, firearms. I have one of the toughest procedures on firearms," he said. "I'm on target on that. I've had to fire people for excessive force. ... I have background checks on everybody I hire. ... (Members of the community) can ask me anything they want to ask me. I've never denied anybody an answer."

Efforts to reach Belmont County Sheriff David Lucas, Barnesville Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff's Department and the Belmont County Fraternal Order of Police for comment were not successful.