HARRISBURG, Pa (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - Following days of protests throughout Pennsylvania over the death of Goerge Floyd in Minnesota, Governor Tom Wolf announced Thursday that his administration will be implementing multi-facetted police reform.
The announcement came during a press conference held by the Governor. "Today, I am taking steps to address concerns about community relations with law enforcement as well as strengthen accountability of our agencies," Gov. Wolf said. "This effort will commence immediately."
Wolf's law enforcement reform plan includes several recommendations:
- All law enforcement agencies throughout the state are being urged to review their training curriculum - including use of force training.
- Standardize testing and best practices for verbal de-escalation techniques, trauma-centered approches, mental health first-aid and impicit bias training.
- Help develop citizen police advisory boards in all municipalities to address police action that leads to injury or death and work with cities and towns to create organizations that provide transparency and independent accountability.
- Create Pennsylvania State Law Enforcement Advisory Commission to review incidents of misconduct within law enforcement agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction and make recommendations for improving public interactions and prevent misconduct, oppression and violence targeted at black and brown communities.
- Creation of a Deputy Inspector General within the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) focused on deterring, detecting, preventing and eradicating fraud, waste, misconduct and abuse amongst law enforcement agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction.
- Creation of a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Subcommittee under the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee (CJAC) at PCCD.
- Supporting Legislative Reforms. The governor will work with the legislature on reforms, including legislation proposed that provides for improved access to police videos, an oversight board for officer training and continuing education, a special prosecutor in deadly force cases, interdepartmental law enforcement hiring reform and PTSD evaluation for police officers.
"We've addressed criminal justice reform on a bipartisan basis, and that's what we'll need to fix these longstanding inequities," Gov. Wolf said. "And as we go forward, we need to address the looming, systemic failings that have created this situation."
Wolf also expressed his desire to address inequalities involving people of color. "I'm going to continue to fight for more education funding and for help for minority-owned businesses. These fights do not have an end point, and we won't know when we've won, but we have to keep going to make our commonwealth fairer and more equal for everyone."
The announcement by the Governor follows on the heels of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announcing his own reforms on Thursday for the Pittsburgh Police Department. During a news conference on Thursday, the mayor's Chief of Staff Dan Gilman announced the city is fulling endorsing the 8 Can't Wait campaign.
All four former officers involved in Floyd's death have been charged. Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting in the death of George Floyd. The charge against Derek Chauvin went from third to second-degree murder.
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