PRINTER'S NO. 2731
No. 244 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY SCRIMENTI, TANGRETTI, MELIO, WALKO, MANDERINO,
TRICH, TRAVAGLIO, WOZNIAK, STETLER, SURRA, STURLA, VEON,
M. COHEN, ITKIN, DeWEESE, JOSEPHS, GIGLIOTTI AND SAINATO,
OCTOBER 31, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, OCTOBER 31, 1995
A RESOLUTION
1 Requesting Governor Thomas J. Ridge to provide funding in future
2 budgets for regional police services.
3 WHEREAS, Local governments are under increasing pressure to
4 find ways to continue to finance police services for their
5 communities as these services are becoming increasingly
6 expensive due to rising personnel and equipment costs; and
7 WHEREAS, A 1973 report issued by the National Advisory
8 Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals recommended
9 the consolidation of police departments of fewer than ten full-
10 time officers; and
11 WHEREAS, In 1975, the Commonwealth adopted several goals and
12 standards for the improvement of police services, and Standard
13 6.4 of those standards advanced the concept of consolidating
14 municipal police departments for improved operational efficiency
15 and effectiveness; and
16 WHEREAS, Over the last two decades, 25 regional police
17 departments have been established throughout this Commonwealth;
1 and
2 WHEREAS, Several other municipalities have expressed interest
3 in consolidating their forces and forming regional police
4 departments but find that a lack of funding for initial costs is
5 an impediment to their efforts; and
6 WHEREAS, Regionalization is a decision that is best left to
7 local officials who can best determine the needs of their
8 municipalities, but the Commonwealth should provide incentives
9 for those who are making an effort to do so; therefore be it
10 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge Governor
11 Thomas J. Ridge to encourage municipalities that wish to
12 consolidate police services through the establishment of
13 regional police departments by providing incentives for the
14 municipalities. Such incentives should be provided in each
15 annual budget proposal by the Governor in the form of funding
16 for costs incurred through the implementation of regionalization
17 programs.
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