The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) maintains the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG), an electronic information network that allows law enforcement agencies to share data on criminal histories, evidence submissions, missing children, gangs, protection orders, and more.
For the purposes of this interview, we are going to focus on your work with OHLEG. When did you become the director of OHLEG?
In November 2016.
Who uses OHLEG and why?
OHLEG is a portal for law enforcement to conduct research on subjects and assets involved in investigations. Use of OHLEG is limited to those in the criminal justice community. We have more than 26,000 registered users, who include officers, detectives, analysts, and others. OHLEG provides 17 databases in one free investigative tool, and it’s accessible from any smartphone or computer. An individual’s access to OHLEG is set by that department’s CEO and agency coordinator.
OHLEG puts a wealth of information at a user’s fingertips. School safety plans; human trafficking reports; domestic violence reports; concealed carry information; and Blue, Amber, and Missing Adult alerts. The Ident-A-Drug application can help officers identify unknown pills.
Can you think of anything OHLEG has that agencies might not be aware of?
OHLEG provides a records management system that offers an efficient way to organize, track, and access a department’s information on field interviews, citations, incidents, property and evidence, call records, and more. It’s all free of charge, and we provide the training. All of the data storage is handled on our side and it is easily accessible.
In your opinion, what resource is underused by OHLEG users?
The Missing Children Clearinghouse is a valuable resource that agencies could use more often. The clearinghouse was established in Ohio Revised Code Section 109.65 by the Ohio General Assembly in 1993 as a central repository for statistics and information about missing children in the state. OHLEG pulls records from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) every three minutes. Law enforcement can use that information when researching runaways and high-risk youths.
Do you accept user feedback?
We love user feedback. After a suggestion from an OHLEG user, we recently added a link to the Ohio License Center. Through that link, OHLEG users can find whether a person or business holds a professional license, such as members of the Chemical Dependency Professionals Board, Dental Board, Medical Board, Nursing Board, Psychology Board. The list goes on and on.
Has monitoring the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) DNA collections always been an option?
For more than a year, OHLEG has offered the Negative DNA Flag Report. It is a tool to identify adults who have been arrested for a felony offense but who have yet to have a DNA sample received or processed successfully by BCI. Law enforcement agencies may use this tool to monitor their cases. Our office will continue to notify agencies regarding samples that have been collected and submitted, but failed due to errors.
How many people work primarily on OHLEG?
Twelve people work on OHLEG; some of them operate the 24-hour radio room at BCI, too. In the radio room, we can dispatch agents, fix any OHLEG user connectivity problems, check settings, and provide troubleshooting for eOPOTA.
What are you working on now?
We are trying to raise awareness about the Ohio Law Enforcement Information Sharing Network (OLLEISN), which is available on OHLEG. OLLEISN allows law enforcement to share incident reports and other investigative records with agencies throughout the state. OHLEG shares OLLEISN data with the FBI N-DEx program. Greater participation is good for all agencies and strengthens our investigations. For more on NDEx, visit the
FBI's website.
How can law enforcement get in touch?
To sign up for OHLEG, seek training, or offer a suggestion, call 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6446) or send email to
OHLEGSupport@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
The Peterman File
Previous jobs: Criminal intelligence analyst, BCI; intel supervisor, BCI; administrative assistant, governor’s office; staff assistant, lieutenant governor’s office
Education: Bachelor’s degrees in political science and sociology from The Ohio State University
Family: Married to Doug since 1994; two kids: Taylor, 19, and Ryan, 15
Hobbies: Cattle farming, fishing, and boating
Favorite quote: “The mind grows by taking in, but the heart grows by giving out.” — Warren Wiersbe
Contact information: 740-845-2409;
Cynthia.Peterman@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov