The Governor is ensuring that Pennsylvania police departments are well-funded, well-staffed, well-trained, and well-equipped:
Secured new funding for the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) while reducing PSP’s reliance on gas tax revenue by $125 million annually over the next four years.
Succeeded in obtaining new funding for four trooper cadet classes in 2023-24 to train 384 new troopers, filling staffing gaps and ensuring the Pennsylvania State Police are well-funded and well-trained.
Announced $14 million in funding to support the recruitment of approximately 2,000 new, full-time law enforcement officers through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Fought for and secured an additional $60 million for county 911 services in the FY2023-24 budget.
Removed the Pennsylvania State Police’s 60 college credits requirement for cadets graduating from the Academy, increasing overall applications by 258% and expanding opportunities to hundreds of otherwise ineligible applicants.
Fully implemented body worn cameras for Pennsylvania Capitol Police Officers and initiated a new body worn camera pilot program for the Pennsylvania State Police.
Created the Pennsylvania Citizen Law Enforcement Advisory and Review Commission to bring together law enforcement experts and criminal justice reform advocates to support public safety and ensure accountability for state law enforcement agencies.
The Shapiro Administration prioritized public safety by supporting commonsense legislation and taking illicit drugs off the streets:
Supported the House’s two bipartisan, commonsense gun reform bills to keep Pennsylvanians safe. The bills, H.B. 714 and H.B. 1018, would require universal background checks on all gun purchases, close the gun show loophole, and establish extreme risk protection orders.
Took $30 million worth of illegal drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, off the streets through the Pennsylvania State Police.
The Shapiro Administration distributed over 400,000 xylazine/fentanyl test strips and approximately 127,000 naloxone kits through the Pennsylvania Overdose Prevention Program to community-based organizations and other groups.
In response to historic increases in reported xylazine-related overdose deaths, the Governor directed the Department of Health to temporarily schedule the powerful sedative as a Schedule III controlled substance to increase safeguards against theft and diversion while ensuring legal access and use for veterinarians across the Commonwealth.
District attorneys across Pennsylvania are grateful that this illicit dangerous drug, xylazine, is being scheduled as a controlled substance. […] Scheduling xylazine will allow law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate and hold drug traffickers seeking to sell it in our communities, often to unsuspecting users, accountable.”
-Greg Rowe, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association
This Administration invested tens of millions of dollars in public safety and violence intervention and prevention grants:
Appointed Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis as the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Signed the FY2023-24 budget that provided $40 million for the Violence Intervention and Prevention program, a $10 million increase from the prior year – to address community violence.
Signed the FY2023-24 budget with a $250,000 increase to support the It’s On Us PA initiative that aims to keep college students across Pennsylvania safe from campus sexual assault.
Provided over $1.1 million in funds for 32 nonprofit and religious institutions for public safety and security projects due to threats through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
