HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — It’s a challenge familiar to Harrisburg and police departments across Pennsylvania: staffing and retention of officers.
But why is that?
A task force led by Attorney General Dave Sunday found that Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies face a number of obstacles when it comes to recruitment and retention, including: competitive recruitment from federal agencies, lack of benefits for some positions, mental health risks and negative public perception.
After meeting with law enforcement leaders across the state, Attorney General Dave Sunday released the results Tuesday from the task force, which was commissioned by Pennsylvania Sen. Wayne Langerholc.
Why are we seeing fewer officers?
In 2024, Pennsylvania saw an 11-year low when it comes to the state’s number of police officers and sheriffs’ deputy sheriffs, with 24,280 officers employed, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The report also notes that of 2,558 separate police jurisdictions in Pennsylvania, nearly 60% have less than 10 officers on staff.
The study says two common sources of police recruitment—former military members and children of police officers—are contributing fewer officers.
The report also highlighted the impact of federal policing efforts. Specifically, it mentions the $50,000 sign on bonus and $60,000 in student loan forgiveness that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offers to its agents. Local municipalities can not offer benefits that compare, the report says.
“Adding incentives such as waiving education costs or providing bonuses are feared to be the only solution for combatting transfers to the federal level,” the task force wrote.
The study also calls for an increase in benefits for law enforcement officers, acknowledging that part-time employees or certain categories of law enforcement don’t often receive the same benefits as full-time employees.
The task force also highlights the stress, fatigue and mental health issues that law enforcement officers face. High stress jobs are linked to more depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse disorders and burnout.
The report also notes that law enforcement officers don’t often seek mental health support because they don’t want to appear weak.
Some officers were also found to have reconsidered their careers because of public perception.
Suggestions for higher recruitment & retention
The task force made 24 recommendations for lawmakers to help increase police recruitment and retention. Some recommendations were made for all levels of public safety personnel, others were made for statewide and local government law enforcement, and others were made for corrections officers and district attorneys.
In a press release, Sunday highlighted the following recommendations:
Ensuring meaningful salary and benefitsFocusing on improving working conditionsEncouraging retention by providing other benefits, such as help with tuition for children of law enforcement officers.Acknowledge that inadequate pay in related agencies, like those that handle SUD and mental health treatment, has a negative effect on the criminal justice system and makes the work of law enforcement officials much harder.Recognition of the disparity in pay between agencies, with agencies who pay the most benefitting.Encouraging those who fund state and local agencies to reduce the salary gaps between law enforcement and prosecutor agencies so that individuals aren’t recruited away to agencies paying more.Helping to launch a survey of salary for prosecutors, which can vary greatly from county to county.
The report also included other recommendations such as referral bonuses, an increased number of PTO days, and repealing the cap on the number of state police troopers in Pennsylvania.
You can find the task force’s full report here.