In The News 15 September 2026

New executive director appointed to lead Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy

Ohio Attorney General

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced this week that James Cyphers will serve as executive director of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA).
 
“Jim is a proven leader with the knowledge and experience to guide OPOTA forward,” Wilson said. “Under his leadership, OPOTA will continue to set the standard for excellence in law enforcement training.”
 
A candidate for the OPOTA executive director position is recommended by the attorney general to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, whose members then vote to appoint the leader of the training academy. Cyphers starts as the OPOTA executive director today.
 
Cyphers served with the U.S. Marshals Service for 24 years, most recently as a chief deputy U.S. marshal based in southern Ohio. During that time, his responsibilities included running the agency’s national body-worn camera program and overseeing daily operations of offices in Cincinnati and Dayton, as well as the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team. He also implemented training programs focused on officer safety, warrants and body-worn cameras. Before joining the U.S. Marshals Service, Cyphers spent three years with the West Virginia State Police and six years in the Marine Corps.
 
OPOTA offers courses in both the civil and criminal functions of law enforcement officers under the direction of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission. OPOTA provides hundreds of advanced law enforcement classes each year to local law enforcement departments.

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