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Committee OKs fund to reward tips in killings of law enforcement officers
Summary
House Bill 591 would establish a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency fund to pay up to $50,000 to informants whose information leads to arrest in killings of law enforcement officers; committee voted unanimously to report the bill to the floor.
The House Judiciary Committee unanimously reported House Bill 591, which would create a fund administered through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to pay up to $50,000 to individuals who provide information leading to the capture and arrest of a person convicted of murdering a law enforcement officer.
Committee counsel said the fund would be named for Constable William Davidson, the first recorded law enforcement officer killed in Pennsylvania in 1825, and that the fund would consist of General Assembly appropriations to the Constable William Davidson reward fund. Counsel said the bill takes effect in 60 days and contains no amendments.
Representative Rabe (who spoke in favor) said he would vote yes in committee but expressed a concern about singling out a subset of the population for special attention, noting other front-line workers also face violence and asking for evidence that such reward funds are effective. He asked that the PCCD or research entities provide evidence on efficacy in future evaluations.
No negative votes were recorded and the committee clerk recorded the bill as reported to the floor.
