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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep. Vince Biancucci |
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Biancucci bill would prevent private citizen police forces
HARRISBURG, March 18 – State Rep. Vince Biancucci, D-Beaver, has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would prevent ordinary citizens from creating private police forces.
Biancucci's bill (H.B. 2382) would repeal an obsolete provision under Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes that allows ordinary citizens to form private police forces.
Biancucci introduced his legislation after a group of residents in Lawrence County formed a private police force and requested that it also be recognized in Beaver County. The Beaver County district attorney denied the group's request and the private police force subsequently started disbanding. Biancucci hopes to repeal the provision and prevent any further occurrences.
"This is a simple fix to what could very well be a serious problem," Biancucci explained. "I'm concerned about the safety of any untrained group of people that forms a private police force. They just don’t have the training and knowledge of our police departments and first-responders to ensure their own safety, let alone the safety of their community."
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