Staff
Kyle Groves
Kyle Groves

Kyle Groves

Conference & Programs Manager
kyle.groves@otoa.org

Kyle Groves Bio

Kyle Groves — Conference & Programs Manager

Kyle Groves is a retired law enforcement professional with more than two decades of experience in firearms and tactical instruction, impaired driving enforcement, investigative operations, and law enforcement education. He currently serves as Conference & Programs Manager for the Ohio Tactical Officers Association (OTOA), where he oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of several of the Association’s major training programs and events.

Kyle combines extensive operational experience with a strong background in program development, curriculum, and instruction. His work with OTOA supports the Association’s mission of delivering relevant, contemporary, and professionally administered training opportunities to law enforcement professionals throughout Ohio and beyond.

Professional Experience

Athens Police Department (1997–2005)

Kyle served in multiple operational and specialized assignments, including:

  • Patrol Officer

  • Simunitions Instructor

  • Department Armorer

  • Sniper/Observer

Dublin Police Department (2005–2022)

During his tenure with the Dublin Police Department, Kyle held both operational and instructional responsibilities, including:

  • Patrol Officer

  • Investigator, Community Impact Unit

  • Firearms & Tactics Instructor

  • Department Armorer

  • Program Developer — Duty Red Dot Sight (RDS) Program

  • Lead Instructor for Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and impaired driving detection

Logan Police Department

  • Reserve Police Officer (1995–1997; 2022–Present)

Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA)

Advanced Training Instructor (2022–2023)

  • Semi-Auto Pistol Instructor

  • Rifle/Carbine Instructor

  • Shotgun Instructor

  • RDS Instructor

  • SFST Instructor

Course Coordinator

  • Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE)

  • New Chief’s Training

  • Instructional Skills Development

Adjunct Instructor (2023–Present)

IACP Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program (2011–Present)

  • Certified DRE Instructor for programs in Ohio, Kentucky, and New York

  • Course Manager for DRE programs in Ohio and Kentucky

  • Instructor for ARIDE, Prosecuting the Drugged Driver, and Cops in Court

Ohio Tactical Officers Association (OTOA) (2024–Present)

Conference & Programs Manager

Kyle provides planning, coordination, and program management for several of OTOA’s major initiatives. His responsibilities include:

  • Planning and coordinating the OTOA Annual Training Conference

  • Coordinating OTOA Active Shooter Symposiums and related special programs

  • Supporting the development, scheduling, and implementation of conference and symposium educational programming

  • Providing leadership and coordination for Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) programming

  • Managing special projects and programs assigned by OTOA leadership

  • Contributing to curriculum development and instructional initiatives

  • Serving as an instructor and member of the OTOA R.E.D. Team training cadre

His position requires coordination among instructors, law enforcement agencies, training partners, venues, and OTOA staff to ensure programs are effectively planned and professionally delivered.

Instructional Expertise

Kyle brings extensive instructional experience across multiple areas of advanced law enforcement training, including:

  • Firearms and tactical instruction

  • Duty Red Dot Sight (RDS) implementation and training

  • Drug and alcohol impairment detection

  • Drug Recognition Expert instruction and program management

  • Legal and courtroom procedures related to impaired driving cases

  • Instructional design and instructor development

  • Law enforcement conference and training program development

Kyle has delivered training through in-service programs, basic police academies, advanced professional training, and college-level programs. He has also served as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission/Academy, contributing to the review and revision of foundational training content in areas including Drug Awareness and Crisis Intervention.

Leadership & Training Philosophy

Kyle’s professional focus is centered on advancing officer readiness, instructional quality, and professional standards. His approach emphasizes safety, discipline, practical application, and training that reflects the challenges officers encounter in contemporary policing.

Through his role as OTOA Conference & Programs Manager, Kyle applies that philosophy beyond the classroom by helping develop and coordinate large-scale training programs that bring together instructors, subject matter experts, agencies, and law enforcement professionals from across the region and throughout the country.