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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    PCCD is the State Administering Agency (SAA) for Bureau of Justice Assistance funding programs, and also houses Pennsylvania's Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) pursuant to Act 274 of 1978.  Sections 4 and 5 of the Act describe the Commission's duties relative to criminal statistics and the duties of other criminal justice agencies in reporting statistics to the Commission. The SAC is independent of any agency with line criminal justice responsibilities in Pennsylvania.

    The Pennsylvania SAC at PCCD is comprised of both PCCD staff and contracted researchers from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) with expertise in Pennsylvania-specific criminal justice data, policies, and programming. Additionally, the IUP consultant team is embedded in the day-to-day operations of PCCD. They are formally trained in research methodologies and analytical processes while also possessing the technical knowledge of how to utilize statistical software to collect, organize, analyze, and report data.  Their advisory services typically include the following:

    • Evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the agency's grant supported projects;
    • Recidivism research, crime trend research, and cost-benefit analyses;
    • Extracting and scrubbing data from federal and state sources;
    • ArcGIS data mapping and Tableau dashboards; and
    • Facilitating legislatively driven task forces and special projects.

    Please click on the banners below for more information about research conducted by the IUP Research Team/SAC and other projects supported by PCCD.

    ArcGIS Map Gallery

    Maps have been compiled to illustrate where PCCD grant funding has been distributed in the state, to fill annual report requirements, for contact information purposes, etc. 

    Map Gallery Screenshot
    View the Map Gallery

    ​At the March 2019 Commission meeting, PCCD Research Consultant Dr. Robert Orth presented a comprehensive report on Pennsylvania's crime trends.  The report, which was paid for through a grant by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, is a compilation of criminal justice statistics presented in an infographic format - PA Crime Trends 2012-2016 Report.

    In June 2023, SAC research staff prepared a Crime in Pennsylvania: Offense Statistics & Trends Over 10 Years (2013-2022) infographic using publicly available criminal offense data sourced from the PA State Police’s Uniform Crime Reporting system.  The report indicates that the total number of criminal offenses reported by law enforcement has declined 24.3% over the past decade, but notes that Part 1 Offenses (e.g., violent offenses) have risen by 18% from 2020 to 2022.  The offenses of murder/manslaughter have increased 76.9% from 2013 to 2022; motor vehicle thefts have increased 54.9%; and possession/carrying a weapon have increased 83%. Burglary, robberies, arson, drug sale and manufacturing, DUIs, vandalism, and drug possession have all decreased during this same time period. Crime in Pennsylvania: Offense Statistics & Trends Over 10 Years (2013-2022).

    Since 1989, the Commonwealth has conducted the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) of school students in the 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th grades to learn about their behavior, attitudes and knowledge concerning alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and violence. The data gathered in PAYS serve two primary needs. First, the results provide school administrators, state agency directors, legislators and others with critical information concerning the changes in patterns of the use and abuse of these harmful substances and behaviors. Second, the survey assesses risk factors that are related to these behaviors and the protective factors that help guard against them. This information allows community leaders to direct prevention resources to areas where they are likely to have the greatest impact. Learn more about PAYS and data collected. 

    The County Adult Probation and Parole Advisory Committee (CAPPAC), established in 2019 and housed at  PCCD, serves in an advisory capacity to the Commission on matters related to county adult probation and parole. One important aspect of the work of  the CAPPAC is to analyze data to identify trends related to county supervision. The reports below detail the preliminary findings of SAC analysts who studied recidivism among offenders who were supervised at the county level. Click on the links below to review the reports. 

    Violence Intervention and Prevention
     
    Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution Grant Program
     
    Other Resources

    The Pennsylvania legislature occasionally directs the formation of unique committees or task forces to investigate particular issues. In recent years the legislation has directed PCCD to host the Task Force on Child Pornography and the Judicial Computer System Financial Audit Committee. 
     
    Task Force on Child Pornography
     
    The Task Force on Child Pornography (TFCP or “task force”) was established by Act 53 of 2021, which became law on June 30, 2021 and took effect on August 30, 2021.  Staffed jointly by PCCD and members of the Joint State Government Commission (JSGC), the Task Force was composed of a 20-members appointed by the General Assembly and the Governor, as well as several members appointed by virtue of their position.  
     
    Per the statute, the TFCP was given one year from its first meeting to “conduct a review to ascertain any inadequacies relating to the offense of child pornography in 18 Pa.C.S. § 6312” and develop any recommendations for any improvements relating to the investigation and prosecution of child pornography and suggest any necessary changes in state statutes, policies and procedures relating to the recognition or prosecution of child pornography.  The final report was adopted by the Task Force during the September 28, 2022 meeting.
     
     
    Judicial Computer System Financial Audit Committee
     
    The Judicial Computer System Financial Audit Committee (JCSFAC) was established within PCCD by Act 70 of 2021. Becoming law on July 9, 2021, the provisions pertaining to the JCSFAC took effect on September 7, 2021.
     
    The JCSFAC was a 13-member body consisting of both voting members appointed by General Assembly leadership and the Judiciary and nonvoting advisory members appointed by virtue of their position. The Committee was directed to review the current status of the Judicial Computer System Augmentation Account (JCSAA) which supports the operation and maintenance of the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts' (AOPC) Judicial Computer System (JCS) established under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 37 Subchapter C (relating to Judicial Computer System). 
     
     The JCSFAC first met on October 27, 2021, where Representative Torren Ecker was elected by the voting members to serve as Chair.  A series of meetings was convened throughout the months of November and December 2021, with extensive written testimony provided by the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) and JCS users. Throughout the process, AOPC provided financial information at the request of the committee, which was used as the basis of this report.
     
    PCCD provided staff support to the JCSFAC to coordinate the meetings and assist in the drafting of the final report, which was adopted by the Committee on January 27, 2022 and submitted to the General Assembly on January 31, 2022 - JCSFAC Full Report (PDF)
     
    Other Reports

    Cost of Non-fatal Firearm Injuries in Pennsylvania, 2016-2021 (August 2022)

    Analysis of Weapons Relinquishments in Protection-from-Abuse Orders in Pennsylvania​ (June 2023)