Harrisburg, PA – With just two weeks left to apply, Pennsylvania police departments can seek support through a new state investment designed to help them solve more crimes, strengthen investigations, and improve compliance with federal crime reporting standards. The Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) grant program, administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), will invest approximately $3.5 million — including $2.5 million in FY 2026-27 state funding and a $1 million match from Arnold Ventures — in local law enforcement agencies across Pennsylvania.
In August, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, Chair of PCCD, joined legislators from both sides of the aisle to highlight the new grant program.
"Too many crimes remain unsolved, in cities and rural areas, and too many violent offenders evade justice. Lack of accountability emboldens repeat offenders, extends trauma for victims and their families, and can cause communities to lose faith in their local criminal justice system. Providing departments with the qualified manpower and technology to raise clearance rates will help break that cycle.
The VICTIM program focuses on making policing more precise, efficient, and effective. That includes upgrading technology to improve evidence analysis; supporting detective training and retention to keep caseloads manageable; improving data collection to track crime trends and guide resource deployment; building trust; and aiding investigations. When investigators work with manageable caseloads, they can follow leads more aggressively, deliver justice more swiftly, and bring closure to loved ones waiting for answers.”
Under the VICTIM Program, local police departments have until October 21, 2026, to submit an application under one of the two available tracks based on their current National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) reporting status:
Track 1 - NIBRS Readiness Grants:The goal of this track is to increase the number of local law enforcement agencies reporting crime data through NIBRS, therefore increasing Pennsylvania’s statewide NIBRS compliance rates. Funding can support costs associated with software, hardware, and labor needed to install NIBRS-compliant record management systems; agency training on collecting and submitting crime data; and technical assistance for personnel responsible for data collection and submission.
Track 2 - Implementation Grants: This track is for NIBRS-compliant law enforcement agencies to purchase technology, equipment, training, and other allowable activities to improve clearance rates of homicides and other violent crimes, including rape, aggravated assault, and robbery.
In January 2021, the NIBRS became the national standard for crime data reporting across U.S. law enforcement agencies. Compared to its predecessor, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Summary system, the data collected through NIBRS offers a more accurate and holistic view of crime trends by capturing in-depth details on criminal incidents, including information on victims, known offenders, relationships between victims and offenders, arrestees, and property involved in crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has set a nationwide deadline requiring all agencies to achieve full NIBRS compliance by January 1, 2028.
Despite recent investments from PCCD to help departments transition to NIBRS, Pennsylvania continues to rank at the bottom among states for reporting data through the system—making it challenging to accurately monitor statewide and local crime trends and allocate resources where they are needed most.
More information on the VICTIM grant program can be found on PCCD’s website.