HARRISBURG — Legislation sponsored by Sen. Chris Gebhard (R-48) to allow Fort Indiantown Gap police officers to be Act 120 certified under the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) received final approval in the Senate today and now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Currently, police officers at Fort Indiantown Gap complete the same certification requirements as other officers but are never assigned numbers by MPOETC. This can prevent them from transferring to another police department without retaking the exam.
“The idea for this legislation came from a police officer at Fort Indiantown Gap, which is located within the 48th Senatorial District,” Gebhard said. “He reached out to our office to share his frustration with current law. After receiving his input, we modeled this change after a similar effort regarding school police officers.”
Senate Bill 327 would give Fort Indiantown Gap police officers the same opportunity already afforded to every other municipal police department, school police department and the Pennsylvania Capitol Police.
“Police officers do an incredibly difficult, stressful and sometimes even deadly job,” Gebhard said. “It’s no wonder that we’re always in need of men and women who are willing to serve our communities in that capacity. My bill removes a barrier for them, making all of us safer.”
The bill received unanimous support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
CONTACT: Alex Gamble