Police departments across Pennsylvania have struggled to recruit cadets since the pandemic, and protests in the summer of 2020 over police brutality in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Now state officials are working to make police training an option for more people.
The state House passed legislation last week that would lower the minimum fitness standard for a potential recruit to be admitted to a police academy. But not everyone thinks that’s a good move.
The bill’s intent is to end the shortfall that Gov. Josh Shapiro put at 1,200 officers statewide during his budget address in March, its prime sponsor, Rep. Dan Williams (D-Chester), said,
“One of the greatest dangers to citizens, as well as law enforcement officers, is not enough officers,” Williams said during debate before the bill passed Nov. 14 with a 115-88 vote. The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
Civil rights groups have argued that the solution lies not with the quantity of officers, but the quality, calling for reforms to how officers are trained for dealing with people in mental health crisis, for instance.