To better protect and build relationships in our communities, our police departments must be adequately staffed with responsible and qualified officers. Police departments across Pennsylvania are experiencing historic shortages of officers including in the City of Philadelphia, where the force has shrunk by nearly 10 percent since 2015.
 
To address this shortage and support the needs of law enforcement, I am proposing to create the Retired Police Officer Program, which would permit the police departments in cities and townships of the first class to allow qualified, retired police officers to return to work. This initiative will provide some of our most experienced officers the opportunity to return to the police force at a time when their service is more valuable than ever.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this important proposal to support our police departments and keep our communities safe.