Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta and other prosecutors from around the state have asked Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania legislature to help them protect communities by enacting or amending laws related to a variety of issues.
A Feb. 19 letter by the group specifically requested that legislators and the governor work collaboratively to address the following crime and public safety matters:
• Guns – Enact a state-level ban on machine gun conversion devices.
• Skill Games – Levy a tax and regulate skill game machines, which have proliferated in convenience stores and other places.
• Swatting – Make the intentional act of making a false 911 call a felony.
• Children – Expand support for the state’s Child Advocacy centers.
• Seniors – Update the Pennsylvania Older Adults Protective Services Act to help prevent elder abuse.
• Victims of Crime – Provide funding to fill a gap left by federal cuts to the Crime Victims Fund.
• Hemp – Set the minimum age for purchasing hemp products at 21.
• Cannabis – Create a cannabis regulation board. Define clear THC limits and regulate marijuana-like products, including hemp.
“Our laws need to match the realities we face,” the letter from the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association said. “Prosecutors need the right tools to promote public safety and prevent violence, protect and support victims of all ages, keep illegal drugs off the streets and away from our kids, and keep Pennsylvania families safe.”
A news release noted that the letter also stressed the need for increased funding for mental health and substance abuse treatment, as well as support for recruiting and retaining prosecutors.
“Northampton County faces many, if not all, the same threats to public safety outlined in PDAA’s letter, especially Child
Abuse and Exploitation and Physical and Financial Elder Abuse,” Baratta said in a statement. “These personal and financial injury crimes against the most vulnerable members of our community are a priority for this office.”
“We are also committed to providing robust services to all of our victims of crime,” he added. “I stand with my colleagues in this urgent call to action.”