For Immediate Release
1/26/10

Piccola and Local Government Officials Unveil Plans for Dauphin County Violent Crime Task Force

HARRISBURG – Senator Jeffrey Piccola (R-15) was joined today by Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico, Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick and members from the law enforcement community to share the goals and mission of a newly-created Violent Crime Task Force to serve Dauphin County, which has been established as a result of the Legislature's recent table games authorization, the final component to the 2009-2010 state budget. 

In early January, legislation was enacted into law that directed funding from the table games share among three entities.  Approximately $120,000 was earmarked to East Hanover Township in Lebanon County and $120,000 to East Hanover Township in Dauphin County.  The remainder of the table games revenue which is expected to be generated by the Hollywood Casino at the Penn National Race Course, approximately $1 million, has been earmarked to the county Violent Crime Task Force.    

Chaired by the Dauphin County District Attorney and comprised of law enforcement officers from various municipalities in the region, the task force will be charged with the purpose of reducing gang violence, drug trafficking and violence and drug-related crime occurring in the county. 

"It is a foregone conclusion that gaming is here to stay in Pennsylvania.  Although I did not support its expansion, I was pleased to encourage the creation of this task force to address the rise in violent crime taking place on our streets and address the anxiety of our citizens who have been concerned for their personal safety," said Piccola.

In addition to Piccola's support, the Violent Crime Task Force has been endorsed by other members from the Dauphin County delegation who serve in the General Assembly.  "My colleagues and I collaborated together to determine how to best spend our local share of the table games funding, particularly at a time when the City of Harrisburg was experiencing a significant violent crime spike unlike any other.  In conjunction with the delegation, I worked with our chief prosecutor – District Attorney Ed Marsico – on how best to use the $1 million dollars the county would be receiving each year," he said.  

Piccola also cited crime statistics from the last year.  In 2009, the City of Harrisburg encountered 17 homicides, while 11 shootings over an 18-day period occurred that year in the month of June alone. 

"It was clear that the time had come to implement programs and strategies to reduce this violence and the drug-related crimes, not to mention the dubious distinction Harrisburg was given as having the most crime per capita in Pennsylvania.  I believe this task force is a real opportunity to seriously fight violent crime here in the Commonwealth's Capital City and throughout the entire county and finally assist our local law enforcement with this duty," added Piccola. 

Contact:

Colleen Greer
(717) 787-6801

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