Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) will implement the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) aimed at protecting domestic violence survivors from life-threatening abuse. LAP is an evidence-based initiative designed to help law enforcement identify victims of domestic violence who may be at heightened risk of death and connect them with lifesaving support.
This program is another valuable tool that allows our Troopers to proactively identify and prevent victims of domestic violence from suffering further abuse by connecting them with trained domestic violence advocates and other critical resources that could save their lives,” said Lieutenant Colonel George L. Bivens, Acting Commissioner for the Pennsylvania State Police. "This implementation also signifies an important milestone in ensuring the LAP reaches each one of our 67 counties across our Commonwealth.”
“As I’ve traveled across the Commonwealth and met with advocates and victim service providers, we’ve heard how much they’ve appreciated when police departments have adopted the Lethality Assessment Program,” said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who serves as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. “They’ve been asking for the State Police to adopt this innovative and proven program statewide, to ensure victims receive the support they need, particularly in the more rural communities that PSP covers. I’m grateful for Lieutenant Colonel Bivens’ leadership in getting this done and inspired, as always, by the survivors and advocates who’ve continued to speak up and speak out to make our communities safer.”
The PSP has developed training based on the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence's (PCADV) LAP model that will enable troopers who respond to qualifying domestic violence incidents to use a standardized lethality screening process to identify factors associated with increased risk of homicide.
When an individual is identified as being at elevated risk, troopers can facilitate an immediate connection with a local domestic violence advocate or hotline. That connection allows the victim to receive safety planning, advocacy, shelter referrals, and other available services.
When policymakers truly listen to survivors, we create systems that meet people where they are and respond to what they need most,” said Ashley Walkowiak, Executive Director, Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women. "By bringing law enforcement and domestic violence service providers together through the Lethality Assessment Program, we close critical gaps in safety and support. Implementing LAP strengthens our statewide response to domestic violence; it also brings stability, restores hope, and empowers victims to move forward with the resources they deserve.”
The LAP is designed around a coordinated partnership between law enforcement and domestic violence service providers. Pennsylvania has supported municipal agencies taking part in the program since 2012 through partnerships involving the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and the PCADV, using a variety of state and federal funding streams to advance this evidence-based model across Pennsylvania communities.
PCADV uses Maryland’s nationally recognized Lethality Assessment Program as its model. In Maryland, domestic violence-related deaths dropped 32% between 2008 and 2013.
A strong partnership between law enforcement and victim service programs is essential to making sure every survivor of domestic violence gets the critical help they need at the moment they need it most,” said Kathy Buckley, Director of PCCD’s Office of Victims’ Services. “Through the Lethality Assessment Program, we are identifying those at the highest risk and connecting them immediately to life‑saving safety and support. The Shapiro‑Davis Administration is working every day to reduce domestic violence fatalities and support victims—and LAP is one of our strongest tools to do just that.”
"For nearly 15 years, PCADV has worked with law enforcement across the Commonwealth on the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP),” said Susan Higginbotham, PCADV Chief Executive Officer. “The coalition is overjoyed by the planned implementation of this lifesaving tool by the Pennsylvania State Police in all 67 counties of the state because LAP has been proven to reduce lethality. We are proud to work together with programs and law enforcement toward our mission to end intimate partner violence and all forms of violence and oppression."
In the last two years alone, LAP was implemented across 62 new police departments and last year, law enforcement conducted over 3,600 LAP screenings, with 2,437 (67%) identifying survivors at high-risk.
PSP joins 493 other law enforcement agencies and 52 domestic violence programs that currently utilize the program in Pennsylvania, expanding the lifesaving resources to more Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth.
According to Lois Fasnacht, PCADV LAP Training Specialist, “When victims of domestic violence are found to be in high danger, promptly calling the hotline helps reduce the potential for homicide by connecting them to live-saving services. This immediate connection can help to move survivors from victimized to empowered. I applaud the Pennsylvania State Police for making this important commitment to help change – and potentially save - lives impacted by domestic violence.”
The LAP program reflects the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s ongoing commitment to support victims of crime, including victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, PCCD Chair, joined the PSP, Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), and Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) last month to launch the Commonwealth’s first statewide sexual assault kit tracking system to strengthen accountability and transparency for survivors.
The Shapiro-Davis Administration has also secured $19.5 million in funding for PCCD’s Victims Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP) since 2023, including $4.5 million in the 2026-27 budget, to help ensure victims and survivors can continue accessing financial assistance in the aftermath of crime.
Governor Josh Shapiro signed a bill into law last year to help domestic violence survivors collect unemployment benefits if they must leave their jobs over safety concerns.
For more information on the Pennsylvania State Police, visit the PSP website.