Governor in Scranton: More money for more cops [Video]

SCRANTON, Pa. — Pennsylvania is home to nearly 1,000 law enforcement agencies, but the state faces a shortage of more than 1,200 municipal police officers. Gov. Josh Shapiro calls this one of the core areas where we need to make a critical investment.

“One of the most critical ways we can make people both feel safe and to be safe is to make sure we have more police in our communities,” Gov. Shapiro said.

Shapiro spoke to cadets at the Lackawanna College Police Academy in Scranton on Thursday. He discussed his nearly $25 million plan to invest in job retention and recruitment efforts. The governor proposed a refundable tax credit for law enforcement, teachers, and nurses.

“We’re saying to every new recruit, state trooper, or municipal police officer, ‘When you get certified here in Pennsylvania for the …