(WKBN) — A local law enforcement officer has been named a member of a newly created group in Ohio.
Major Jeff Allen with the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office was named Chief Deputy of the Missing Persons Working Group.
The 22-person group will investigate how missing persons groups are handled and offer suggestions.
The group will hold its first meeting at the Ohio Department of Public Safety on Jan. 23 and give its recommendations by the end of April.
Allen is the only local law enforcement in the group.
Others in the group include:
Kamran Afzal, Chief, Dayton Police Department
Kevin Callahan, Detective, Cleveland Division of Police
Kelli Cary, State Anti-Trafficking Director, Office of Criminal Justice Services
Matt Champlin, Sheriff, Gallia County Sheriff’s Office
Aimee Chapman, Sister of Andrew Chapman
Vince Ciola, Bureau Chief, Ohio Department of Children and Youth
Jonisa Cook, Mother of Joshua Al-Lateef Jr.
Sylvia Colon, Co-founder, Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults
Gerald Ehrsam, Sergeant, Columbus Division of Police
Pete Elliot, U.S. Marshal, Northern District of Ohio
Aaron Haslam, Prosecutor, Adams County Prosecutor’s Office
Rebecca Kincaid, Detective, Toledo Police Department
Jennifer Lester, Criminal Intelligence Analyst, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Lydia Smith Lockwood, Ph.D., Assistant Principal, Upper Arlington High School
Chris Nicastro, Deputy Director, Criminal Justice and Recovery Services, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Bruce Pijanowski, Superintendent, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Tessa Pohovey, Chief, New Philadelphia Police Department
Ronald Raines, Captain, Ohio State Highway Patrol
Mike Rankin, First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney – Special Services, Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office
Rick Rodger, Judge, Union County Probate/Juvenile Court
Kara Wente, Director, Ohio Department of Children and Youth
Madison Meeker contributed to this report.