Harrisburg, PA – In line with the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to keeping Pennsylvanians safe, the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) teamed up with 10 state law enforcement agencies to deter and crack down on criminal activity in an effort to keep roadways safe along the East Coast.
PSP participated in the 10th annual Operation Blarney Stone – a three-day joint enforcement detail – with Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island State Police agencies, along with Florida and North Carolina State Highway Patrols.
The initiative was highly successful, netting the following results from March 23 – 25:
Table 1: 2026 Operation Blarney Stone Data
| Year | Traffic Citations | Distracted Driving Citations | Warnings | DUI Arrests | Drug Arrests |
| 2026 (3 days) |
13,163 | 699 | 8,823 | 137 | 211 |
Table 2: 2026 Operation Blarney Stone Data
| Year | Other Misdemeanor/Felony Arrests | Warrants Served | Firearms Seized | US Currency Seized | Total Value of Stolen Vehicles Recovered |
| 2026 (3 days) |
377 | 234 | 48 | $824,040 | $2,041,660 |
Table 3: 2026 Operation Blarney Stone Data
| Year | Fentanyl Seized | Methamphetamine Seized | Crack Seized | Cocaine Seized | Heroin Seized |
| 2026 (3 days) |
1.44 kg | 2.8 kg | 130 g | 47 kg | 1.5 kg |
The goal of Operation Blarney Stone is to reduce crashes, prevent fatalities, and ensure everyone can get where they need to go safely.
The Shapiro Administration continues working tirelessly to keep Pennsylvania communities safe by securing critical resources for the PSP and law enforcement across the Commonwealth. Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal is calling for a $16.2 million investment to support four additional cadet classes, approximately 380 troopers. The governor’s 2025-26 state budget included funding for four additional PSP cadet classes.
Shortly after taking office, the Governor announced the elimination of a college credit requirement for state troopers in 2023. Since then, PSP has seen a nearly 60% increase in the number of cadet applicants. In fact, approximately 50% of the state troopers who were accepted into and graduated from the PSP Academy after the change took effect would not have been eligible to apply if the requirement had not been eliminated.
In total, Governor Shapiro has secured funding for twelve cadet classes to train over 1,000 new PSP Troopers and obtained funding through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to help municipal police departments recruit and retain nearly 700 municipal police officers across the Commonwealth. To date, approximately 557 cadets have graduated and joined the ranks of PSP under Governor Shapiro’s leadership.
PSP’s latest hiring cycle is open until May 29, 2026. After five years of service, troopers can earn approximately $96,225. Those interested in becoming a state trooper can find application requirements, job benefits, and other details at PATrooper.com.
For more information about the Pennsylvania State Police, visit the PSP website.
