Pennsylvania’s chief prosecutors, including Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, are calling on state leaders to adopt a series of public safety and victim-protection measures, saying current laws have not kept pace with emerging threats.
In a letter sent this week to Gov. Josh Shapiro and members of the General Assembly, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association urged action on gun violence, elder abuse, illegal drugs and support for victims, along with increased funding for mental health treatment and local prosecutors.
“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,” wrote Fran Chardo, Dauphin County district attorney and association president. “Our laws need to match the realities we face.”
Among the group’s priorities is a state-level ban on machine-gun conversion devices — often referred to as switches — that enable semi-automatic firearms to fire rapidly like automatic weapons.
Prosecutors also asked lawmakers to create a felony offense for “swatting,” the intentional act of making false emergency calls that trigger large police responses.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Referencing the letter in his own release, Adams said, “Berks County faces many, if not all, the same threats to public safety outlined in PDAA’s letter, especially gun violence and juveniles and young adults having access to ‘switches.’”
He added that numerous convenience stores and smoke shops in Berks are selling marijuana or “THC” products disguised as legal hemp products to minors — a problem he highlighted last week in a press conference to announce raids on two stores and arrests of three Reading men on drug-trafficking charges.
“I stand with my colleagues in this urgent call to action,” Adams said.
The association further recommended regulating and taxing so-called skill-game machines, which have proliferated across the state in convenience stores and bars but remain subject to legal disputes over whether they constitute gambling devices.
Victim-protection initiatives make up a large portion of the request. The group called for expanded funding for Child Advocacy Centers that coordinate investigations into abuse, as well as updates to the state’s Older Adults Protective Services Act to address financial exploitation and modern forms of fraud targeting seniors.
It also urged lawmakers to replace funding lost from federal reductions to the Crime Victims Fund, which supports counseling, legal assistance and other services.
Drug policy proposals focus on emerging products derived from hemp. Prosecutors asked for clear limits on THC levels and regulations governing marijuana-like substances sold outside the state’s medical marijuana system, along with setting a minimum purchase age of 21. The group also proposed creating a cannabis regulatory board to oversee enforcement and safety standards.
Beyond policy changes, the association emphasized the need for additional mental health and substance-abuse treatment funding and better support for recruiting and retaining prosecutors, citing heavy caseloads and staffing shortages in many counties.
Kelly Callihan, association executive director, said the organization hopes to work with state officials to move the proposals forward.
“We are committed to collaborating with the governor and lawmakers to advance these priorities and address the evolving threats facing Pennsylvania communities,” Callihan said.
The recommendations come as lawmakers prepare to debate the upcoming state budget and consider revisions to criminal statutes addressing technology-related crimes, drug enforcement and protections for vulnerable populations.