Cutting Capitol Police would be a mistake
To the Times: Every day, thousands of people come to work in Pennsylvania’s Capitol and hundreds more come to visit and enjoy the most beautiful Capitol building in America.
Since its founding in 1895, the Pennsylvania Capitol Police Department has been dedicated to ensuring the safety of those individuals.
The budget proposed by state House Republicans, HB218, would arbitrarily cut nearly $800,000 from the Capitol Police Department. If passed by the Senate, this budget bill would require us to reduce our ranks by at least four police officers. The number of officers we can deploy is the biggest factor determining our ability to ensure the safety of the citizens we are sworn to protect and serve.
Over the past few years, the Capitol Police has expanded its ability to protect and serve the community within and around commonwealth facilities. We now provide active shooter and crime prevention training to the multiple branches of government and have a fully trained and equipped special response team.
We have provided security for hundreds of rallies that take place at the Capitol, including the past year where we provided event protection for a presidential visit. We have expanded our ability to protect legislators, workers and visitors of the Capitol Complex and we equipped officers with the life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug, Naloxone – saving two lives as a result.
We protect the public throughout the Capitol Complex and in other state office buildings and add value to the community through our close work with the City of Harrisburg Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to provide coordinated police coverage and support. Capitol Police is a 24/7 operation with officer staff levels critical to contending with emerging threats to safety and security.
If you’re opposed to reducing our capacity to provide for safety and security in the Capitol Complex and elsewhere, please contact your legislators and tell them to restore the across-the-board cuts in HB 218.