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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 2, 2023 10:19 AM |
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| From: | Representative Amen Brown |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Fitzgerald’s Law – Protecting Our Law Enforcement Officers (Final Draft) |
On February 18, 2023, Temple University Police Officer Christopher Fitzgerald was shot and killed while on duty adjacent to campus. Officer Fitzgerald bravely served his community and patrolled an area that recently experienced several robberies and carjackings when the senseless attack occurred. It is clear that we can no longer sit idly by as the noble law enforcement officers who keep us safe lack the protection, they require to perform their duties safely. We have the ability to change this situation overnight, and this proposal, if adopted, is the first step in accomplishing that goal. For this reason, I am introducing four bills to better protect our officers and the members of the communities they serve. Please join me in supporting our officers as they work to reduce crime and improve our neighborhoods. |
Document #1
Introduced as HB1296
| Description: | Document # 1 – The first bill would require that officers be accompanied by a partner whenever working in a critical crime area, as designated by the Pennsylvania Attorney General. It is designed to ensure that our guardians have secondary protection from those who would do them harm. | |
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| View Attachment | ||
Document #2
Introduced as HB1297
| Description: | Document # 2 – The second bill would require that all officers be issued and wear non-expired level IIIA body armor while on duty to better protect them from persons using firearms that penetrate normal ballistic resistant panels (bullet proof vests). | |
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| View Attachment | ||
Document #3
Introduced as HB1298
| Description: | Document #3 – The third bill would create a grant program to provide funding to municipalities to install audible gunshot detection technology in areas with high rates of firearm related violence. Gunshot detection technology immediately alerts law enforcement when shots are fired, leading to a faster, more efficient response times that can lead to a higher likelihood of solving crimes. |
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| View Attachment | ||
Document #4
Introduced as HB1299
| Description: | Document #4 – The fourth bill would authorize the use of technology that facilitates the review of video data, a process that can take numerous days, to facilitate the swift investigation of incident involving serious bodily injuries. In order to ensure there is not abuse of this medium, the Commissioner, chief of police, or their designee must provide written (or digital) authorization. | |
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| View Attachment | ||