Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Gov. Wolf pledges reforms to improve police training, accountability in PA

PA Gov. Tom Wolf (right) at his press conference late on Thursday

Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday laid out a multi-part plan designed to improve relations between police and communities, focused on law enforcement accountability and training.

Wolf said that he was taking the actions following nearly a week of protests in cities throughout Pennsylvania condemning racism and police brutality.

“We can no longer afford to have two Pennsylvanias and two Americas,” Wolf said. “Unfairness is pernicious, and it can spread like a cancer unless we can stop it.”

Wolf said that he decided to take these actions after meeting with officials in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Yesterday, Wolf marched with Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse, police Commissioner Thomas Carter, other community leaders and a group of protesters from the state Capitol building through Midtown Harrisburg.

Wolf’s recommendations include:

  • Creation of a deputy inspector general within the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General focused on deterring, detecting, preventing and eradicating fraud, waste, misconduct and abuse amongst state law enforcement agencies.
  • Creation of a Pennsylvania State Law Enforcement Advisory Commission that reviews allegations of misconduct by state law enforcement personnel.
  • Providing technical assistance to municipalities from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to encourage the creation of local citizen advisory boards.
  • Creation of a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Subcommittee under the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee at PCCD.
  • Reviewing training and education of officers. All training academies for law enforcement must review current use-of-force training standards and form a workgroup to develop model training standards to ensure that officers receive the best instruction in interacting with the public.
  • Enhancing current mental health initiatives and offering targeted mental health supports for officers to deal with trauma and reduce stigma for getting help.
  • Work with the legislature on reforms, including legislation proposed that provides for improved access to police videos, an oversight board for officer training and continuing education, a special prosecutor in deadly force cases, interdepartmental law enforcement hiring reform and PTSD evaluation for police officers.

“Some of it requires some legislation, but most of it, I can do quickly, and I will,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Harrisburg City Council members also vowed reform of police practices within the city.

Wolf added that he also would seek to address longstanding inequalities against people of color.

“I’m going to continue to fight for more education funding and for help for minorityowned businesses,” he said. “These fights do not have an end point, and we won’t know when we’ve won, but we have to keep going to make our commonwealth fairer and more equal for everyone.”

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