First Lady Lori Shapiro Visits Pennsylvania State Police Academy to Highlight Efforts to Recruit More Women, Sustainably Fund State Police

Hershey, PA – First Lady Lori Shapiro met with cadets and staff from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) at the State Police Academy in Hershey to discuss the challenges PSP currently faces in recruiting female troopers and to highlight the Governor’s commonsense budget proposal, which invests in public safety and takes steps to recruit more police officers to fill critical staffing shortages.

Workforce shortages among critical frontline positions like police officers are a problem across the Commonwealth. To address these shortages, Governor Shapiro has proposed a refundable tax credit of up to $2,500 a year for three years for newly certified police officers, troopers, nurses, and teachers.

“Law enforcement agencies should reflect the communities they’re sworn to serve, and the Shapiro Administration is working to ensure that every Pennsylvanian has well-trained, well-resourced police officers in their neighborhood,” said First Lady Lori Shapiro. “The PSP was the nation’s first state police agency to fully integrate female troopers into its regular command structure, and we need to build on that legacy. By adequately funding our state police and diversifying recruitment efforts to attract more women, the State Police can help all Pennsylvanians be and feel safe.”