The NLCRPD joined other first line Criminal Justice and First Response professional who provided testimony before the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee on May 2, 2022, regarding Crime & Public Safety held at the East Hempfield Township Building.

Heather Adams, Lancaster County District Attorney, explained to the committee why Lancaster County is a hotspot for human trafficking and how her office has formed the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force to address this alarming trend. Chief Jack Brommer of the Columbia Borough Police Department told the committee that recruiting new officers to the force has become increasingly difficult, particularly as anti-police rhetoric rises. Chief David Steffen of the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department told the committee that the national media’s consistent coverage of emotional, high-profile, and statistically rare cases of officer-involved shootings portrayed as the norm has created a foundation of mistrust in law enforcement. Chief Steffen also emphasized the need for a seamless joint multi-disciplinary team response to challenges posed by the mental health crisis. Chief Lisa Layden from the West Hempfield Township Police Department testified that the candidate pool for prospective officers has decreased by approximately 80 to 90 percent in the last 30 years. An increasingly negative image of policing among younger generations fueled by biased media coverage and anti-police activists has made attracting exceptional officer candidates a nightmare that will only worsen as the state faces a looming wave of senior officer retirements. Janelle Esbenshade, Interim Executive Director of NorthStar Initiative, a group that supports women who are survivors of domestic sex trafficking, told the committee how communities impacted by human trafficking typically see a rise in other crimes as well.

To view this important testimony, click on this link. https://www.senatoraument.com/2022/05/02/senate-republicans-statewide-he...