Gov. Josh Shapiro touts plan to recruit police officers, invest in public safety in Pennsylvania

SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO CONTINUES TO TOUR THE STATE, PUSHING HIS BUDGET PLANS, INCLUDING TAX INCENTIVES TO HELP BOOST POLICE LEVELS. TODAY AT LACKAWANNA COLLEGE ACADEMY, HE TALKED ABOUT TAX BREAKS FOR NEW RECRUITS. WE’RE SAYING TO EVERY NEW RECRUIT, STATE TROOPER OR MUNICIPAL POLICE OFFICER, WHEN YOU GET CERTIFIED HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE WILL PUT UP TO 20 $500. BACK IN YOUR POCKETS FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS. THE GOVERNOR I

Gov. Josh Shapiro is promoting his proposal to recruit more police officers and invest in public safety in Pennsylvania.Shapiro met Thursday with cadets at the Lackawanna College Police Academy in Scranton, where he heard from them about the challenges they face.”Keeping Pennsylvanians safe is a top priority for my administration, and making our communities safer starts with ensuring police departments are well-staffed, well-funded, well-trained, and well-equipped,” Shapiro said. “When we don’t have enough local law enforcement to cover our communities, that puts an even greater burden on the men and women on the ground keeping us safe. Policing is a noble profession and good people want to do it, so my budget is going to make it a little easier to become a police officer and address critical shortages.”The Shapiro administration said Pennsylvania is home to nearly 1,000 state and local law enforcement agencies – the second most of any state in the nation. The commonwealth is facing a shortage of more than 1,200 municipal police officers.To address shortages, his budget proposal includes a tax credit of up to $2,500 a year for up to three years for new officers.Shapiro’s budget plan also includes $16.4 million for four new Pennsylvania state trooper cadet classes in 2023-24, which would hire and train 384 new troopers.

SCRANTON, Pa. —

Gov. Josh Shapiro is promoting his proposal to recruit more police officers and invest in public safety in Pennsylvania.

Shapiro met Thursday with cadets at the Lackawanna College Police Academy in Scranton, where he heard from them about the challenges they face.

“Keeping Pennsylvanians safe is a top priority for my administration, and making our communities safer starts with ensuring police departments are well-staffed, well-funded, well-trained, and well-equipped,” Shapiro said. “When we don’t have enough local law enforcement to cover our communities, that puts an even greater burden on the men and women on the ground keeping us safe. Policing is a noble profession and good people want to do it, so my budget is going to make it a little easier to become a police officer and address critical shortages.”

The Shapiro administration said Pennsylvania is home to nearly 1,000 state and local law enforcement agencies – the second most of any state in the nation. The commonwealth is facing a shortage of more than 1,200 municipal police officers.

To address shortages, his budget proposal includes a tax credit of up to $2,500 a year for up to three years for new officers.

Shapiro’s budget plan also includes $16.4 million for four new Pennsylvania state trooper cadet classes in 2023-24, which would hire and train 384 new troopers.