Pennsylvania to invest $185M into new law enforcement, community safety programs

An announcement from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf last week revealed that $185 million in state funding would go toward two new programs to improve community safety, both through support for local law enforcement and county district attorneys’ offices.

The governor’s final capstone budget secured $135 million for the Local Law Enforcement Program (LLES) and another $50 million for a Gun Violence Investigation & Prosecution (GVIP) Program. The LLES funds local agencies in pursuit of information technology improvements, the purchase or upgrade of equipment, non-traditional personnel costs, retention and recruitment efforts, as well as training support. More consideration will be given to areas of Pennsylvania gripped by higher rates of violence or law enforcement agencies with demonstrably lower abilities to solve crimes.

Each agency, from local law enforcement agencies to county park police forces, will gain anywhere from $500,000 to $25 million of these funds over two years. However, maximum amounts will be based on the population of an agency’s jurisdiction or agency type.

“With adequate resources, our local law enforcement and investigative offices can better protect and serve our communities,” said Gov. Wolf. “This is $185 million to ensure answered calls for help, remove criminals from our streets, and prosecute violent crimes to the fullest extent possible. It’s a down payment on peace of mind tomorrow and less sorrow and bloodshed in the years to come.”

The remaining funds go toward the Gun Violence Investigation & Prosecution Program (GVIP). That program supports county district attorneys’ offices and local law enforcement agencies, offering more means to investigate and prosecute firearm violations and violent crimes committed with guns. Funding can be spent on improving multi-agency gun violence task forces, personnel costs, technology and software to improve investigation or prosecutions or increase clearance rates, firearm tracing programs, and any other efforts that aid in the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of a crime involving firearms. Like the LLES program, maximum amounts from the GVIP program will be based on population or agency type and range from $500,000 to $25 million.