Pennsylvania Capitol Police

Last updated

Pennsylvania State Capitol Police
PA Capitol Police logo.png
Agency overview
Formed1895
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction United States
Legal jurisdiction Capitol Complex and state office buildings in Dauphin County, PA, and Scranton, Pennsylvania
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Buildings and lands occupied or explicitly controlled by the institution and the institution's personnel, and public entering the buildings and precincts of the institution.
Operational structure
Headquarters70E Capitol East Wing, Harrisburg, PA 17125
Sworn members85 [1]
Agency executive
  • Joseph Jacob, Superintendent
Facilities
Stations1
Patrol cars22
Dogs5

The Pennsylvania Capitol Police is an internationally and domestically accredited law enforcement agency with full arrest powers that investigates all reported crimes within its jurisdiction of state-owned buildings and properties in Harrisburg and Scranton. The force maintains a 24-hour a day/7 days a week presence in Harrisburg, where they also provide assistance to the city of Harrisburg Police Department and other surrounding local law enforcement agencies.

Contents

The Pennsylvania State Capitol Police Force was established in 1895 under Governor Daniel Hartman Hastings, the state's 21st Governor. The enactment authorized the Capitol Police as the first Pennsylvania police agency under Commonwealth jurisdiction and the second oldest state police organization in the United States, after the Texas Rangers. [2]

Accreditation

The Capitol Police was initially accredited on July 9, 2005 through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) and Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. In 2024, the Pennsylvania Capitol Police received their sixth re-accreditation. In addition to being re-accredited, the Pennsylvania Capitol Police was awarded the Premier Agency Status by the PA Chiefs of Police.

The Capitol Police received International Accreditation on July 28, 2007, through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). In 2024, the Capitol Police was awarded their sixth award for being re-accredited. CALEA recognized the Pennsylvania Capitol Police for their professional excellence and demonstrating a commitment to being a highly trained police department.

Equipment

The CPD has an all-Ford patrol fleet that consists of Police Interceptor Sedans and Police Interceptor Utilitys. The agency's vehicles are both marked and unmarked.

Though not often displayed in pictures, the CPD also uniquely uses the IWI X95 Israeli bullpup assault rifle as part of their armament, and were previously the first law enforcement agency in the United States to adopt the TAVOR SAR in 2013 before upgrading to the IWI Tavor X95 in July 2017. [3]

The Department has four K-9 Explosive Units trained in the detection of explosives. All delivery vehicles entering the building of the Capital Complex are searched. Also, the Capitol Police Department has a K-9 Narcotics/Patrol unit trained in the detection of drugs on as well as for search and rescue operations.

Units

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Pennsylvania Capitol Police Swear In Three New Officers". archive.ph. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ "PA Capitol Police".
  3. ↑ "The Pennsylvania State Capitol Police Upgrade to IWI US TAVOR® X95™". July 25, 2017.
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