WILKES-BARRE — Gov. Josh Shapiro, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, and Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Colonel Christopher Paris this week joined local law enforcement leaders and elected officials to highlight the ongoing commitment to strengthening public safety and investing in law enforcement across the Commonwealth.
As Gov. Shapiro marks two years in office, his Administration aims to make Pennsylvania safer — supporting law enforcement and first responders, investing in local communities, addressing crime and gun violence and implementing reforms to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents.
“Every Pennsylvanian deserves to be safe and feel safe — and our Administration is working to ensure law enforcement has the resources and support they need to protect our families and our communities,” said Gov. Shapiro.
“Across Pennsylvania, we’re seeing real progress from the investments we’ve made — with many of our major cities seeing reductions in homicides and gun violence,” said Lieutenant Gov. Davis.
Investments in public safety and law enforcement
The Administration has secured funding to hire more than 800 new Pennsylvania State Police troopers and recruit and train nearly 700 municipal law enforcement officers.
“The partnership between state and local law enforcement is at the heart of our efforts to keep communities safe,” said Colonel Paris.
Tackling gun violence and supporting first responders
Gov. Shapiro has prioritized public safety initiatives to reduce gun violence, equip law enforcement, and support first responders, including:
• Doubling funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund, re-establishing the Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and investing $11.5 million in the Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) program to reduce community violence.
• Funding eight Pennsylvania State Police cadet classes to train over 800 new troopers and filling almost 700 municipal law enforcement positions.
• Construction underway on a nearly $400M capital project to modernize the Pennsylvania State Police Academy to meet the evolving needs of law enforcement training.
• Expanding the use of body-worn cameras for Pennsylvania State Police across 61 counties to improve transparency and accountability.
• Securing $31 million in grants for fire companies, EMS and rescue squads, along with $20.7 million to increase ambulance mileage reimbursements.
• Enacting legislation to restrict access to xylazine, or “tranq,” and seizing almost $120 million worth of illegal drugs through Pennsylvania State Police operations.
Attorney General Henry hosts session to raise awareness of cyber fraud in PA
Attorney General Michelle Henry this week hosted a listening session to raise awareness of what cyber fraud looks like in Pennsylvania, whom it impacts, and how banks, credit unions and other stakeholders can better protect Pennsylvanians.
Several consumers who were victimized by cyber fraudsters shared their stories, as Attorney General Henry and staff also hosted state and local legislators and consumer advocates.
There are various types of cyber fraud — including technical support, romance, government impersonation, and investment fraud. Older Pennsylvanians are more at risk because they have more assets and might be more susceptible, but all Pennsylvanians should remain on the lookout for potential scams.
The Office of Attorney General is receptive to potential legislation that will better protect consumers and is hopeful banks and other financial institutions do all they can to proactively protect consumers before they are victimized.
“I have heard far too many stories of hard-working Pennsylvanians who had all or significant portions of their life savings taken through cyber-based fraud,” AG Henry said. “We hope that this event spurs action that will ultimately prevent fraud and give consumers more opportunity to recover assets when they are victimized.”
PennDOT receives $1.3M grant ease traffic congestion, reduce pollution
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) this week announced that it was awarded a $1.3 million SMART grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
The grant will support PennDOT’s pilot of Freight Signal Priority (FSP) technology at two high truck traffic locations in central Pennsylvania, helping to relieve congestion and reduce air pollution while ensuring goods can more quickly get to market.
The technology uses real-time GPS data from truck electronic logging devices to determine a truck’s speed and location. When the truck is approaching a traffic signal, the system sends a priority request to the signal controller, causing the green light to be extended by five to seven seconds. This allows the truck to safely move through the intersection instead of stopping, which keeps traffic moving and reduces emissions produced by trucks idling.
“Efficient movement of goods is central to our economy. However, truck traffic can create congestion, cause supply chain delays and increase pollution in our communities.” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “As the Keystone State, Pennsylvania is a critical freight hub. The Shapiro Administration looks forward to piloting this technology that will help keep our trucks and goods moving while also keeping our air cleaner.”
“Truck congestion has a significant impact on the supply chain, causing delays, increasing costs for consumers, and making the job more challenging for truck drivers,” said Rebecca Oyler, president & CEO of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association. “Pennsylvania ranks eighth in the U.S. for statewide costs related to truck congestion at over $3.7 billion, so we’re excited to be on the cutting edge with this pilot project. Technology solutions hold a lot of promise for helping to solve the challenging issue of truck congestion. We’re anxious to see the results of the project.”
PA delivers more than $3M to hire, recruit and train police officers
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), this week announced that it has provided more than $3 million in grants to help attract and train high-quality recruits and fill 692 vacant municipal law enforcement positions across the Commonwealth.
Additionally, Gov. Josh Shapiro has secured state funding for over 800 new Pennsylvania State Troopers — providing funding to add nearly 1,500 new law enforcement officers in our communities in just two years.
Funding was provided through two of PCCD’s Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentives solicitations, aimed at addressing one of the most pressing public safety and workforce challenges Pennsylvania faces — the hiring shortage of police officers.
Luzerne County will receive $ 22,600 to support the training of 14 officers.
In addition to investing in hiring, recruiting and training law enforcement officers, PCCD delivered $5.8 million in grant funding to support law enforcement system upgrades which will enable the reporting of crime statistics to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
The 68 approved law enforcement entities can use this funding for upgrades to software, hardware, and labor needed to install NIBRS-compliant record management systems; training on how to collect and submit NIBRS data; and/or technical assistance for personnel responsible for data collection and submission.