LEBANON, PA – Today Lt. Gov. Austin Davis held a roundtable conversation with local leaders and law enforcement officials to talk about how they’re using state investments to build safer communities.
“Pennsylvania is home to more than 1,000 local police departments, and many of them have struggled with recruitment and retention, especially since the pandemic,” said Davis, who also serves as chair of PCCD. “The Shapiro-Davis Administration is giving communities the tools and resources they need to consolidate their law enforcement agencies, which will help address those staffing concerns and make policing safer for the officers. This is all part of our strategy to make Pennsylvania communities safer and make government work better for all of us, no matter what zip code you live in.”
“As you can imagine, there were many moving parts in trying to form a regional police department,” said Lebanon County Regional Police Department Chief Tim Knight. “Securing the grant through PCCD gave us fiscal stability for our start-up expenses.”
“Fiscal responsibility is at the forefront of every political conversation today,” said Lebanon County Regional Police Commissioner Michael Wahmann. “Regionalization allowed us to provide a better service while being fiscally responsible to our tax base. Continued access to grants through PCCD is essential to sustaining and expanding this progress.”
This successful merger follows on the heels of creation of the Western Lebanon County Regional Police Department, formed when the Annville Township and Palmyra departments merged in 2024. The Western Lebanon County Regional Police Department earned state accreditation this summer.
Last week in Allegheny County, the newly formed Swissvale Braddock Hills Regional Police Department selected their police chief, and their officers will start in January.
When Davis served in the state House, he introduced legislation to encourage municipal police departments to consolidate, where feasible, through a new grant program.
Since January 2023, PCCD has invested more than $6 million in Lebanon County to strengthen public safety by supporting law enforcement, enhancing school safety and mental health supports and helping victim service providers deliver critical support to those impacted by crime.
Lebanon County has seen steady declines in serious crime in recent years. In 2024, serious criminal incidents were down 24% compared to 2022 levels. The rate at which serious crimes are being solved and closed has also improved, increasing from 29% in 2022 to 40% in 2024.
Statewide statistics also show declining gun violence rates. In 2024, homicides in Pennsylvania dropped 23%, outpacing the national decline of 15%. Data show that other violent crimes committed with firearms also decreased statewide in 2024 compared to the prior year, including a 15% reduction in aggravated assault by firearm and 32% decrease in robbery by firearm incidents.
The Shapiro-Davis Administration has made historic investments in the Pennsylvania State Police – removing outdated barriers to service, expanding recruitment, and providing critical resources to keep communities safe, including:
- Eliminating Barriers to Serve: In 2023, the Governor removed the 60-college-credit requirement for cadet applicants, significantly expanding the pool of qualified candidates. Applications to the Academy have since increased by 258 percent.
- Hiring More Troopers: The Shapiro-Davis Administration has funded eight cadet classes to train over 800 new State Troopers and secured funding to help departments recruit and retain nearly 700 municipal police officers across Pennsylvania. To date, more than 500 cadets have graduated and joined the ranks of PSP.
- Investing in Facilities: Nearly $400 million has been secured for the construction of a new state-of-the-art PSP Academy. The multi-phase project includes a new marquee building with classrooms, dormitories, and training facilities, as well as a new indoor range and physical education facility. The project is expected to be completed in phases, with part of the facility opening in October 2026 and full completion expected in 2028.
- Enhancing Law Enforcement Resources: The Administration is expanding the use of body-worn cameras across 67 counties to improve transparency and accountability.
The Shapiro-Davis public safety strategy pairs strong law enforcement with targeted community investments to reduce violence and support young people, including:
- Violence Intervention and Prevention: $85 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants awarded to over 130 projects statewide;
- Afterschool Learning and Violence Reduction: $11.5 million to launch the Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) program, supporting 46 programs in its first year;
- Nonprofit Security: $5 million increase in funding to secure places of worship and community centers;
- Reducing Gun Violence: Re-established the Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention and won a $4 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to expand hospital-based violence intervention programs;
- Supporting First Responders: $60 million in new funding for county 911 services and increased ambulance mileage reimbursements; enacted laws allowing workers’ compensation for post-traumatic stress injuries.