Hill-Evans announces $209K to support recruitment and retention of local law enforcement officers, provide crisis intervention responses
Rep. Carol Hill-Evans March 28, 2024 | 3:35 PM
YORK, March 28 – State Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York, announced today that local law enforcement organizations have been awarded a total of $209,000 by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to support efforts including officer recruitment and behavioral health crisis intervention services.
Northern York County Regional Police Department received $28,000 for officer recruitment and retention efforts under the Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program. The goal of this funding is to support their training and recruitment activities for municipal law enforcement officers, which all Pennsylvania police departments are mandated by Act 120 to provide.
“From school resource officers to the members of the Quick Response Team who show up for us at our most urgent moments, I know I can count on the Northern York County Regional Police Department, and all of the outstanding law enforcement agencies protecting the 95th District, to be there for the communities I serve,” Hill-Evans said. “I’m grateful for PCCD’s continued investment into programs that support police workforces across the commonwealth.”
The York County commissioners received $181,000 to support the county’s Forensic Services Unit and Crisis Intervention Team. The CIT employs behavioral health experts as “co-responders” who liaise between police and the county’s mental health providers to support people experiencing a mental health crisis, freeing up officers to handle other emergencies. The FSU provides expert crime scene evidence collection and processing for all York County police departments, consolidating their manpower and resources to allow all of them to access equipment and professional support that would not otherwise be available.
“I’m proud of York’s law enforcement leaders for having the vision and drive to institute these groundbreaking programs that benefit our residents,” Hill-Evans said. “I would love to see more counties follow our lead, and PCCD gives them that opportunity.”
The funding comes from the State Crisis Intervention Program, which offers a variety of grants to support innovative programs like the FSU and CIT, as well as gun violence prevention efforts targeting Pennsylvania youth.
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