House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Clear and open communication in our legal system—particularly with police—is crucial to achieve justice for crime victims. I will soon be introducing legislation to establish the Public Safety Resident Communications Program within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to streamline communications between police departments and the public.

 

PCCD will be tasked with developing a program that police officers and all involved parties can use to communicate. Specifically, the bill will allow certain officials to directly inform a crime victim of their rights, provide updates on a case, and collect feedback about the program. This will increase transparency and efficiency in our legal system by creating an easy-to-use communication channel for law enforcement officers, attorneys, and victims of crime.

 

It is important to note that this bill will prohibit PCCD from obtaining or sending any information that may violate a victim’s rights or jeopardize the successful prosecution of a case. The bill also requires tracking and auditing of the program to ensure the privacy and security of its users and exempts all transmitted information from the Right-to-Know Law. Anyone can opt out of the communications program at any time.

 

This legislation will make it easier for Pennsylvanians to communicate with law enforcement and modernize how our police departments engage with crime victims. I hope you will join me as a co-sponsor of this legislation to facilitate these communication channels between police officers, crime victims, and Pennsylvania residents who want to keep their communities safe.