We will soon be introducing legislation designed to increase the clearance rates for homicides and other violent crimes by providing our law enforcement with additional and necessary tools to help solve these serious crimes.
 

This legislation, the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act, is necessary. A core goal of our criminal justice system is to solve crimes and provide closure and justice for victims, but law enforcement too often lacks the resources to achieve this goal. In Pennsylvania, more than a quarter of all homicides go unsolved. And barely more than one-third of other major crimes, including robbery and burglary, are solved.
 

Solving homicides and other violent crimes will have many positive and important results:
 

  1. More justice for victims and families because solving homicides and other violent crimes provides closure and justice, helping victims and families heal.
  2. Better public safety, because higher clearance rates lead to the apprehension and incapacitation of violent criminals.
  3. Less crime, because solving homicides and other violent crimes sends a clear message that perpetrators will be held accountable.
  4. Community trust in law enforcement, because improved clearance rates demonstrates the effectiveness of police in solving crimes and maintaining public safety.
  5. Addressing disparities, because higher clearance rates can help address disparities in crime solving, particularly in disadvantaged communities that are disproportionately affected by violent crime.
     

This legislation will establish a grant program that Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) would administer. The program will allow local law enforcement agencies to apply to PCCD for grants to help them solve homicides and other violent crimes. Grants could be used to hire and retain detectives and investigators; upgrade technology used to analyze evidence; and ensure compliance with the grant’s reporting requirements.
 

Significantly, the legislation will also require that this program be evaluated to determine what’s working, what isn’t, and to identify any areas of needed improvement.
 

By prioritizing solving homicides and violent crimes that would otherwise go unpunished, we can make our communities safer, improve confidence in our justice system, and provide critical support to victims and their families.
 

Please join us and co-sponsor the VICTIM Act.