Police departments struggle to keep and attract officers
Updated May 01, 2021;
Posted May 01, 2021
Protesters confront police during a march, Tuesday Oct. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. Hundreds of demonstrators marched in West Philadelphia over the death of Walter Wallace, a Black man who was killed by police. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, file)AP
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By MENSAH M. DEAN, JULIE SHAW and VINNY VELLA, The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Amid growing calls for police reform and national debate over the deadly use of force, police departments in Philadelphia and beyond are struggling to retain and attract officers, law enforcement officials say.
Across the region and the nation, police officials and union leaders described the state of recruiting as in “crisis” mode.
The Patton Township Board of Supervisors asks Centre County residents to join us in urging our state representatives to support House Bill 606 which would permit our municipal police officers to use radar for speed enforcement after appropriate training.
Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that does not allow for local use of radar. This legislation is a public safety measure for the good of Centre County residents. The National Highway Safety Commission reported that in 2018 Pennsylvania was third highest in the country in the number of speeding related fatalities on local roadways.
This bill includes safeguards to prevent “policing for profit.” A municipality receives only a small portion of the base fine which does not cover the personnel costs of using these devices.
It happened here. On the next to the last day of a fateful 2020, Christian Joseph Hall, a mentally troubled 19-year old employee at the Giant Supermarket in Bartonsville, mounted the edge of the nearby Route 33 overpass to Interstate 80.
Hall made an anonymous 911 call, warning of his potential suicide jump.
Within minutes, Pennsylvania State Troopers arrived and tried for more than an hour to convince Hall to choose life over death. They failed. After a burst of errant gunshots from a trooper, Hall raised his arms in apparent surrender. But he held onto a pellet gun which the police believed was a real weapon. He was shot to death seconds later. Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso presented the public with his findings in a convincing report on March 30, 2021 that included a video of the episode as recorded by the troopers’ body cams.
Beth Doe has a name, man charged in 45-year-old cold case – Times News Online tnonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tnonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
What you need to know for Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. Today’s weather High: 45; Low: 31. Mostly cloudy. Photo of the day Today’s talkers Evolving: The Pennsylvania State Police department is working on changing its culture, increasing the diversity of its overwhelmingly white ranks and training its force to properly handle contacts with minorities. Read more. Suspended: After one of his officers .