Cambria Times

State Representative Jim Rigby from Pennsylvania is set to introduce two legislative measures aimed at enhancing cooperation among municipalities and states to combat violent crime. These initiatives are part of a broader effort by state House Republicans focusing on criminal prevention, policing, prosecution, and punishment.

"Information is power, and the sharing of information can be a very powerful tool when it comes to confronting violent crime," Rigby stated. "The bills I’ll be offering call for a more coordinated effort that will expand the availability of details about criminal activity and make more members of law enforcement aware of who’s on their streets and how to stop them."

One proposal seeks to establish a statewide organized crime and street gang database. This initiative encourages collaboration between different jurisdictions in Pennsylvania to share critical information.

"There are larger police departments across Pennsylvania that have already established a bank of information on perpetrators and incidents of violent crime," said Rigby, who previously served as a chief of police. "Smaller departments simply don’t have the resources to do that, and creating a database which they can quickly access makes that information readily available on a wider scale."

The second legislative measure urges Governor Josh Shapiro to negotiate an interstate compact with other states that operate similar databases for mandatory information sharing.

"Sharing of information about criminal activity already exists across the country but only among states that enter into agreements to do so," added Rigby. "It’s imperative that Pennsylvania become a participant in this nationwide database to empower our police departments, large and small, with the tools they need to prevent, investigate, and solve crimes."

Rigby emphasized the challenges faced by local law enforcement due to gangs and offenders moving across regions. He noted issues observed in areas like Johnstown where offenders migrate from Philadelphia and New Jersey.

"It’s no secret that police academies are seeing fewer enrollees, and smaller towns are relying more and more on the Pennsylvania State Police for assistance," said Rigby. "The officers and detectives in all jurisdictions, regardless of size, need to have access to every tool available if we want to get serious about combatting violent crime."

For further inquiries regarding these proposals or other state government matters, constituents are encouraged to contact Rigby's offices in Cresson at 814-886-1055, Ferndale at 814-536-9818, or Somerset County at 1-814-509-6942.