PERZEL PUSHES FOR 10,000 COPS
By Mike Howells, PA Legislative Services
1-16-08
 
Standing in front of representatives from the law enforcement community and the state legislature, Speaker Emeritus John Perzel (R-Philadelphia) today made an appeal to the House Appropriations committee to report out his 10,000 Cops proposal (HB 1189) and bring it to the House Floor for a vote.
 
"We must give municipalities the tools they need to hire more officers," Rep. Perzel declared, asserting that the solution to the statewide crime problem in Pennsylvania is tougher enforcement of existing laws, and more cops on the street, not more laws that restrict the rights of las-abiding citizens.
 
Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin), declared Perzel's "vital legislation" will lead to safer communities across Pennsylvania, while former Williamsport mayor Steven Cappelli (R-Lycoming), characterizing his city as a "microcosm of Philadelphia," emphasized the need for an expanded police presence to counter the proliferation of drug-related violence.
 
Rep. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) urged members of the Philadelphia delegation to go before the Philadelphia City Council and ask why the police department is operating with 400 fewer officers.
 
Other members of the legislature, including Representatives Karen Beyer (R-Northampton), Douglas Reichley (R-Lehigh), Rick Geist (R-Blair), Mario Civera (R-Delaware), Jim Marshall (R-Beaver), Bob Mensch (R-Montgomery), John Evans (R-Philadelphia), and Mario Scavello (R-Monroe) expressed their support for the legislation.
 
Mark Koch, President of the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police, and Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico also advocated for swift passage of the bill. Marsico commented, "I am stunned this proposal doesn't have bipartisan support."
 
Rep. Perzel noted that while he has not yet had any one-on-one discussions with Democrats regarding the bill, he will pursue such dialogue and hope to get the bill on the floor for debate as soon as possible.
 
More from Capitol Wire:
 
Perzel accuses House Democrats of stalling bill to hire 10,000 new police.
 
State Rep. John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, and several other GOP lawmakers on Wednesday held a news conference to urge Democrat Leadership in the state House of Representatives to advance legislation that will lead to the hiring of 10,000 new police officers across the state. The bill received unanimous approval from the House Judiciary Committee in October, but has been stuck in the Appropriations Committee ever since.
 
Perzel and his GOP colleagues blamed House Democrats for the delay. "We're trying to make sure they focus in on one priority, and that's helping the people of Pennsylvania not have to worry about crime in their communities," said Perzel, noting that the bill has been waiting for a full vote by the House Appropriations Committee.
 
"The more time this bill remains in committee, the more opportunity the thugs on our streets will have to poison innocent children with drugs and kill the officers that are trying to protect us," said Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin, Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "The bottom line is that by passing this legislation and by hiring additional police officers, we could lower Pennsylvania's crime rate and decrease the ever-growing population in our prisons. Everyone wins, except the criminals."
 
The legislation, HB1189, would provide matching funds to hire 10,000 more police officers over the next four years. The grant program would be administered by the state attorney general's office and would provide funding to Pennsylvania municipalities with priority given to municipalities with smaller police forces, the highest priority going to forces with fewer than 20 police officers. A municipality's per capita rate of total crimes reported statewide, as recorded in the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System, and its percentage of total crimes reported statewide, as recorded in the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System, would also be a factor in prioritizing funding recipients, with those having the highest per capita and percentages receiving higher priority.
 
"Our legislation will increase the presence of local law enforcement in communities across Pennsylvania by dedicating nearly $56 million in state funds to hire up to 10,000 new police officers over the next four years," Perzel said. Under the proposal, the state and each local municipality would contribute 50 percent of the cost for the new officers.
 
This program will be administered through the state Attorney General's Office. To provide for maximum flexibility, municipalities can use up to 50 percent of the state commitment for recruiting, training, equipment or other costs associated with maintaining a sufficient number of well-trained officers in their community after the first four years of the program.
 
The bill also creates an advisory committee to assist the attorney general in reviewing and approving the grants under the program. The committee will consist of representatives from local law enforcement, the Pennsylvania State Police, chiefs of police organizations and the Fraternal Order of Police. When Perzel first proposed his plan in 2006, Gov. Ed Rendell said it was too expensive.
 
Yesterday, Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo told The Philadelphia Inquirer the governor's position "remains the same - it's a great idea, but budgetary constraints make it difficult." Responding to GOP claims that the bill is being stalled by House Democrats, Johnna Pro, spokeswoman for Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, told the Inquirer Perzel's bill is "poorly written," and that giving priority to small departments would not put police in places that are experiencing the most crime. "We support the concept of more police on the street," Pro said. "But this bill, even conservatively speaking, still falls tens of millions of dollars short of providing adequate funding."