Philly Leader

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, the winner of the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race, said in a press release that the passage of pro-police bill SB 1193 is a step in the right direction towards restoring law and order in the state.

Introduced by Mastriano (R-33) and Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-37), SB 1193 will establish a “Law Enforcement Recovery Grant" which allows agencies to apply for grants of up to $2.5 million, according to a release from the Pennsylvania Senate Republicans. Municipal departments, county sheriffs, and the State Police can use those grants to fund incentives to attract and retain officers, and to invest in technology and other equipment to combat violent crime and drug trafficking. The legislation passed the Senate Law and Justice Committee earlier this week and will now be considered by the full Senate.

“The unanimous passage of SB 1193 by the Senate Law and Justice Committee sends a clear message," Mastriano said. "Pennsylvanians want their communities protected, and their elected representatives are standing up to the culture of lawlessness the Democrats and their radical allies have tried so desperately to impose on us." 

"Thanks to years of anti-police and pro-criminal rhetoric from the Democrats, far too many of our cities are under siege by crime, and most communities are suffering from police shortages. Police chiefs are begging for support, and Pennsylvanians are longing for protection. There are currently over 1,200 vacancies in our state’s various law enforcement agencies. This is unacceptable. They want safe neighborhoods and it's our job to deliver." 

"SB 1193 is just the beginning. As Governor, I'm going to bring back the Blue to the streets and fight against the extremists who'd rather leave law-abiding Pennsylvanians to the mercy of criminals. The Democrats’ era of anarchy and chaos — supported by politicians like Josh Shapiro and Joe Biden — will end, and we will enjoy peace in our cities and towns across Pennsylvania again.”

There are 1,229 vacant police positions across the state of Pennsylvania, WHYY reported in March. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said that rising crime, combined with the staffing shortages, has led to burnout and increased stress among the remaining officers. Philadelphia's police department has dwindled from approximately 6,600 sworn officers in 2015 to 5,900 sworn officers today.

Mastriano will face off against Democrat Attorney General Josh Shapiro in the general election, ABC reported. A June poll from USA Today and Suffolk University has found that Shapiro holds a narrow lead of around 4 points over Mastriano, with 13% of voters remaining undecided, meaning that Shapiro's lead is within the poll's margin of error. The most important issues among Mastriano supporters are the economy and corruption.