Senate Committee Passes Mastriano Bill to Fund the Police and Protect Neighborhoods

Harrisburg – The Senate Law and Justice Committee today unanimously passed legislation introduced by Senator Doug Mastriano (R-33) and Senator Devlin Robinson (R-37) to establish the “Law Enforcement Recovery Grant.” The grant program will assist agencies facing staff shortages and agencies in communities that have seen an uptick in violent crime and drug trafficking.

Senate Bill 1193 will allow municipal departments, county sheriffs, and the State Police to apply for a grant up to $2.5 million. Law enforcement agencies can use the grant money to fund strategies and incentives to attract new recruits and retain current officers, technology, equipment, and collaborative responses to violent crime and drug trafficking.

The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) will administer the grant program and agencies must report how the grant money will be used. To ensure transparency, PCCD will be required to issue a report that includes the total number of agencies that applied for the grant program, total number of agencies that received a grant, and a summary of how each agency will use the grant money awarded. 

“Pennsylvania currently has over 1,200 vacant police positions across the state,” said Mastriano. “This means less officers on the streets to prevent violent crimes, less resources for drug interdiction, and less opportunities for relationship building with members of the community. Compounding the issue of recruitment and retention is the rise in violent crime in Pennsylvania. Our commonwealth has had the third highest increase in violent crimes in the entire nation since 2019. To make matters worse, the proliferation of deadly drugs such as fentanyl continues to take lives. SB 1193 will ensure that agencies across the commonwealth have the resources needed to properly serve their communities and save lives.”

The bill will now advance to the full Senate for consideration.

Media Contact: Josh Herman

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