Funding woes and waves of retirements have thinned the ranks of the State Police, so lawmakers are hoping to spur new hires by setting up a sort of rent-a-trooper program with municipalities.
The state Senate proposal in question would let municipalities contract directly with the state police if they have no police force of their own. Backers say it would allow local governments to rest easy, knowing they're getting the protection they need.
Doug Weimer is one of the supervisors of Hempfield Township in Westmoreland County. He said the idea of contracting with the state police is better than past proposals designed to reimburse the agency.
"I mean, you could pay for an officer and they will dedicate the majority of their time in your community, whereas bills that have floated in the past were basically a head tax, just taking money, and there was no guarantee of having any, I guess, ensured service," he said.
Lawmakers say direct contracts could also help the state police afford to hire more troopers, given that the agency has hundreds of openings, and is bracing for more retirements this year.
Republican State Senator Kim Ward of Westmoreland County said in her bill, if an officer is contracted for a large enough period of time, the State Police would bring on another full-time officer, with the goal being to spur the state Police to grow, with the help of revenue from municipalities.
"It's just another tool, it's not a mandate. It is another opportunity for municipalities and the state police officers, to get more of them," she said.
The bill passed unanimously in committee and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.