DOUGLASSVILLE — Attorney General Dave Sunday joined Pa. Senator Tracy Pennycuick and law enforcement leaders across Berks and Montgomery counties Thursday for a roundtable discussion about staff recruitment and retention challenges and other issues as police work to keep communities safe.
Attorney General Sunday and Senator Pennycuick hosted the event, which included Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, the Berks County District Attorney Office’s Chief Detective, and representatives from Pennsylvania State Police and numerous municipal departments across the two counties.
The Pennsylvania Senate, through the Joint State Government Commission, established the Task Force on Recruitment and Retention of Law Enforcement and appointed Attorney General Sunday as the chairperson.
The group discussed staff shortages and difficulty recruiting new officers as potential candidates weigh non-competitive salaries with the high demand and dangers of police work.
”As chairperson of this task force, I take very seriously the challenges police departments face with finding and keeping quality officers who, along with their families, make sacrifices every day,” Attorney General Sunday said. “As I travel across the Commonwealth and meet with law enforcement leaders, recruitment and retention battles are parts of nearly every one of those conversations.”
“Today, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday and I hosted an in-depth discussion with municipal and county police from Berks and Montgomery counties. The conversation focused on the challenges officers face as well as ways in which the state can better assist departments with issues such as recruitment, retention, and community service,” said Senator Tracy Pennycuick. “As Senator, these honest discussions with law enforcement are so important to ensure we are helping officers and improving public safety for our residents.”
The roundtable attendees also discussed equipment needs and other trends within their respective departments and communities. There are approximately 90 law enforcement agencies in Berks and Montgomery counties.
Attorney General Sunday intends to compile the feedback while serving as task force chair, and, ultimately, work collaboratively with departments across the state on initiatives to increase the pool of officer candidates, increase officer morale, and enable retention within the departments.
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