A Plan for Smarter, More Effective Policing – Better Training, Better Outcomes
- Pennsylvania must modernize police training to better prepare officers for the complex challenges they face today.
Higher education requirements—All officers should receive training in sociology, psychology, civil rights, and de-escalation tactics. - Expanded police academy training—Pennsylvania officers receive far less training than many developed nations. We must increase hours in conflict resolution, mental health response, and community policing.
- Mandatory de-escalation training—This prevents unnecessary force, leading to fewer civilian complaints and officer injuries.
- Comprehensive civil rights education—Understanding constitutional rights and proper law enforcement procedures strengthens trust in our system.
Accountability & Transparency
- Although the majority of officers serve with honor, bad actors undermine public trust. We need real accountability to protect the integrity of law enforcement.
- A statewide system to remove unfit officers and prevent them from moving to new departments to escape consequences.
- Public disclosure of disciplinary records and use-of-force data to ensure transparency.
Stronger body camera policies to prevent tampering with evidence and hold all parties accountable.
Safer Schools, Stronger Support for Mental Health
Preventing violence in our schools starts before a crisis happens. We need to:
- Expand School Resource Officer (SRO) programs to build trust between students and law enforcement.
- Increase funding for school psychologists, crisis counselors, and social workers to help students in distress before violence occurs.
- Implement Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) to temporarily restrict firearm access for individuals who pose an immediate threat to themselves or others.
Investing in Law Enforcement as a Career
- Raise salaries and benefits to attract the best and brightest to law enforcement.
- Provide tuition assistance for recruits, making it easier for aspiring officers to afford higher education.
- Reduce excessive overtime and reliance on part-time work, improving officer performance and reducing burnout.
- Require departments to have two paid days per quarter to be used for continuing education or additional training.
- Remove the stigma of seeking counseling by requiring departments to offer monthly Mental Health debriefings for officers. Officers can choose to use a private therapist.
The Path Forward
We need to support our police officers while demanding the highest professional standards. Public safety is not about politics—it’s about protecting our families, our neighborhoods, and our way of life.
Stronger Communities. Smarter Policing. Safer Pennsylvania.
Join me in fighting for a Pennsylvania where law enforcement is respected, well-trained, and held to the highest standards.