As we come to the close of 2023, there are changes in the wind, in terms of some state laws in Pennsylvania as we welcome the year 2024. There’s actually a wide range of new laws coming into effect in 2024, too many to cover in one SCOOP Civics column. However below are some of the new laws that really caught my attention. A number of the new laws address crime and public safety in the Keystone State.
Governor Josh Shapiro has signed what he calls ‘landmark probation reform and clean slate legislation that “will create more fairness in Pennsylvania’s criminal justice system, ensure probation serves as a tool to help Pennsylvanians re-enter their communities and pave the way for more Pennsylvanians to get second chances.”
Then there’s a new PORCH PIRATING law that will make porch pirating a felony, good news to those who have been victims of porch pirates, the people who steal your UPS, Postal Service, Amazon, and other packages from your front door. It will be a felony in the new year.
There are no specific penalties for mail theft, including the theft of a package, bag, or letter. The new law focuses on repeat offenders and uses a grading system to increase penalties if the thief has prior mail theft convictions.
There’s also a new statewide crackdown on retail theft thank goodness. A new law creates a Deputy Attorney General within the Attorney General’s Office whose job will be to oversee a team of prosecutors who will be geographically placed throughout Pennsylvania to prosecute retail theft.
Another new PA law has to do with lowering the fitness demands for new police officers across the state. The new law will lower the fitness requirements for prospective police officers. Currently, police academy applicants are required to score no lower than the 30th percentile in evaluations that include long- and short- distance runs, bench presses, and sit-ups. The new law reduces these requirements so that an applicant only has to score in at least the 15th percentile for these evaluations. Applicants must, keep in mind that they will still be required to score no lower than the 30th percentile in order to be employed as a police officer.
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