Pennsylvania became the latest state to drop its college credit requirement for applicants considering joining the State Police force in an attempt to increase recruitment numbers.
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris announced the PSP would no longer be requiring cadet applicants to have 60 college credits. The rule had been in place since the 1990s, according to a press release from the governor’s office. States such as Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia have also dropped college credit requirements for state police.
“Policing is noble profession, and this is the finest law enforcement agency in the nation. We need to show those who want to serve that this door of opportunity is open – and we want you on our team,” Shapiro said.
Our @PAStatePolice troopers are ready to meet any challenge, but it’s our responsibility to ensure that they have the tools, resources, and personnel to do the job.
We need to take the steps now to address workforce shortages in law enforcement — and we need to open the doors of… pic.twitter.com/71JqajXmxu
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) August 28, 2023
Those who are interested in joining the PSP should have a valid drivers license and a GED or high school diploma. After passing an initial qualifying exam, applicants will be put through a polygraph test, background investigation, physical fitness test and a medical and psychological screening, per the press release. (RELATED: Los Angeles Police Department Shrinks To Smallest Size Since The 90s As Recruitment Fails To Keep Pace)
“Filling the ranks of the Pennsylvania State Police with women and men dedicated to serving the people of Pennsylvania is of the utmost importance,” Paris said.
“In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the state of police recruitment in the United States was already dire,” David Kennedy, president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, wrote in a February article in The Tribune-Democrat.
“Staffing problems became even more acute in 2020 with the pandemic and later fallout from the murder of George Floyd,” Kennedy wrote.
Police departments across the nation started experiencing low recruitment numbers and budget cuts after the death of George Floyd sparked civil unrest and a movement to defund the police.
Kennedy adds when he signed up in 1995, he “competed for a position with 10,000” other applicants. In comparison, the PSP had only 1,000 applicants in 2022, per Kennedy’s article.
The Daily Caller reached out to the Pennsylvania State Police for a statement but did not receive a response by the time of publication.