$170 Million Will Support Local Law Enforcement

Governor Tom Wolf announced $170 million in awards to over 220 law enforcement agencies and county district attorneys’ offices throughout the commonwealth through two new programs designed to improve community safety and support local law enforcement.

“These grant programs are one more tool in our toolbox to create safer communities across Pennsylvania,” said Gov. Wolf. “With adequate resources, our local law enforcement and investigative offices can better protect and serve.”

The Local Law Enforcement Support (LLES) Program and Gun Violence Investigation & Prosecution (GIVIP) Program are both administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). Governor Wolf secured the funding for these programs in his final budget, as he has needed to work to prevent violence through community investments and executive action with no support from Pennsylvania’s General Assembly to enact commonsense gun violence prevention laws

The LLES program provides law enforcement agencies with the necessary resources to implement information technology improvements, purchase or upgrade equipment, cover nontraditional law enforcement personnel costs, support retention and recruitment efforts, and provide necessary training. Priority consideration for these grants will be given to areas of Pennsylvania with high rates of violence or to law enforcement agencies with low clearance rates (i.e., lower ability to solve crimes)

The GVIP program provides county district attorneys’ offices and local law enforcement agencies more tools to investigate and prosecute firearm violations and violent crimes committed with firearms. Funding can be spent on improving multi-agency gun violence task forces, personnel costs, technology and software to improve investigation or prosecutions or increase clearance rates, firearm tracing programs, and any other efforts that aid in the investigation, arrest and prosecution of a crime involving firearms.

Priority consideration for both grant programs was given to those agencies in jurisdictions with the highest rates of violence, or, in the case of GVIP, gun violence. The LLES program also was required to give priority consideration to those agencies struggling with lower clearance rates (i.e., the ability to solve crimes). The GVIP program also required that 10 percent of the funding be reserved for agencies serving rural communities.

Local grants include:

• Blair County

Altoona City, $50,000

Blair County Commissioners, $4,300,000

Duncansville Borough, $6,400