By Sen. Lisa Baker, Judiciary Committee Chair
Every October we observe Crime Prevention Month. As citizens have expressed higher levels of concern about crime and safety, state legislators have been working diligently to bolster law enforcement, extend community protections, and upgrade services and supports for crime victims and vulnerable populations.
The detailed work of crafting and approving reforms doesn’t typically earn much in the way of headlines or public attention. Yet, throughout this two-year legislative session, substantial progress has been made on a wide range of criminal justice and public protection measures.
In the state Senate, Republicans have set the agenda for action. We have considered the perspectives of law enforcement, the courts, criminal justice professionals, community advocates, local officials and others. We have integrated the views of those involved or interested in the administration of justice, enforcement of law, crimefighting strategies and reintegrating offenders back into society.
Lengthy sentences, when disproportionate to the severity of the offenses, impose excessive costs on taxpayers. It is possible to hold individuals accountable and lessen sentences for non-violent crimes without sacrificing community safety. We have struck this delicate balance with measures like our probation reform law and clean slate, which remove barriers to rehabilitation and offer a way out of criminal lifestyles for those who want to become productive citizens.
Changes to the juvenile justice system are designed to incorporate proven methods for improving youth outcomes and addressing significant gaps in current practices. By improving the law, we have taken important steps to give young people a true second chance.
While we will continue to focus on data-drive solutions that prevent crimes from happening, we also remain steadfast in our efforts to protect communities when they do occur. Violent criminals who pose a threat to public safety should never be released on unsecured bail, and we have passed a measure prohibiting that practice.
Prevailing research shows that putting more police on the streets is one of the most effective tools for reducing crime. While other states argue about defunding the police, we authorized funding to add 100 state troopers. This is particularly important as more communities in rural areas rely on the state police as their primary protection.
Building upon our efforts to prevent human trafficking, we prioritized funding for the creation of a specialized unit of prosecutors and investigators within the Office of Attorney General that will be dedicated to combatting this deplorable behavior. Measures were approved to require sexual offender registration for those convicted of human trafficking or sexual assault by a sports official. We also strengthened services to better protect and help victims recover, especially children.
In this high technology age, we must persistently and agilely move to combat the use of artificial intelligence in the alarming rise of online child pornography and dissemination of child sexual abuse materials. The Senate acted swiftly to modify gaps in existing law to ensure that police and prosecutors have the tools to combat this growing crime.
It is also critical to protect older Pennsylvanians from exploitation and abuse, which is why we have tightened guardianship laws to protect the elderly and dependent against financial predators who prey upon them.
We have taken multiple approaches to combating the opioid crisis including helping those caught in the cycle of addiction and aligning our drug scheduling practices so we respond quickly when new drugs emerge on our streets. We also advanced a measure to make repeat drug dealers face harsher penalties when the poison they push results in the victim’s death.
New laws are now on the books to hold wrongdoers accountable and safeguard our communities in every corner of the commonwealth. The Senate expanded the scope of our retail theft law to help businesses that face organized stealing and looting. The new crime of “mail theft” was created to help consumers cheated by porch pirates. We also enacted out-of-the-box solutions to address high crime rates in particular regions, such as establishing a special prosecutor for crimes committed on Philadelphia’s mass transit.
Criminal justice is never an area for declaring “mission accomplished” or final victory. Even with comprehensive reforms, new problems and legal loopholes will always emerge over time. This requires proper oversight and vigilance.
As much as we accomplished this past session, Senate Republicans will strive to advance the best laws, policies and funding priorities to build a safer Pennsylvania for everyone.