XENIA — Xenia Police Division is one of a dozen law enforcement agencies to a state grant for recruitment.

Gov. Mike DeWine recently announced that the 12 law enforcement agencies will receive share $424,871 from the Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment. Agencies in Clark, Franklin, Hamilton, Logan, Lucas, Mahoning, Medina, Montgomery, Shelby, and Summit counties will also receive grants as part of the first round of funding offered as part of the new program.

XPD will receive $32,450.28 to streamline the process for diverse candidates to begin a career in law enforcement through the creation of a police cadet program.

“Law enforcement is a distinguished and honorable profession, but agencies all over the country are facing serious shortages in new recruits, which is dangerous for the current workforce and for the citizens they serve and protect,” DeWine said. “The agencies receiving grants today have all developed plans that will help them recruit more qualified job candidates, particularly women and minorities who oftentimes face barriers to employment in criminal justice careers.”

DeWine prioritized the creation of the Ohio Law Enforcement Recruitment Grant Program in the state’s 2022-2023 operating budget, which was passed by the Ohio General Assembly last year. Administered by the Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment, the grant program totals $1 million during the biennium, with the remaining funds to be offered in fiscal year 2023. Additional law enforcement recruitment funding will also be offered as part of the $250 million that DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly dedicated to law enforcement in December.

The Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment, which was launched by DeWine in 2020, operates out of the Office of Criminal Justice Services within the Ohio Department of Public Safety.