State police association supports reform legislation passed by Pa. House, Senate

The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association on Wednesday issued a statement supporting police-reform legislation passed by the state House and Senate.

“As troopers, we believe our Call of Honor is nothing less than a sacred oath. Every trooper must memorize it. In particular, it includes this line: ‘It is my duty to obey the law and to enforce it without any consideration of class, color, creed or condition,’” said PSTA President David Kennedy in a statement. “The line is important because it means no one is above the law. Including us. Especially us.”

Bills to give police departments information about an applicant’s disciplinary past and to train officers in how to interact with people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds were approved unanimously on Wednesday by the state House.

One of the bills directs the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission to maintain an electronic database with details about why officers have left employment. Agencies would have to check the database before hiring an officer.

The other House measure would require police to be trained in how to recognize and report child abuse, as well as how to treat people from various racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds.

The state Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed proposals to ban choke holds unless deadly force is authorized and require all police agencies to keep track of instances in which police have used physical force.

“PSTA fully supports a statewide registry to allow police departments to check the background of all potential officer candidates,” Kennedy said. “In fact, we have long supported a statewide registry so our department can ensure it only hires people who are worthy of being a Pennsylvania State Trooper.”

Kennedy said troopers receive training in de-escalation techniques, implicit bias, equal opportunity and inclusion, sexual harassment and any changes to crime codes and rules of criminal procedure.

“The Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission currently reviews and develops curriculum and oversees the training of municipal police officers under the direction of the Pennsylvania State Police. In fact, when President Barack Obama created the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, MPOETC adopted its guidelines,” Kennedy said.

The association represents more than 4,400 state troopers.