Accreditation Works
Case Number 65
The Pennsylvania Capitol Police Force was established in 1895 as the first Pennsylvania police agency under Commonwealth jurisdiction, making it one of the oldest state police organizations in the United States. Since then, the Pennsylvania Capitol Police has progressively revised its goals and operations to meet the ever-changing needs of the Pennsylvania state government and the people it serves.
It currently consists of 110 sworn police officers, 14 uniformed security officers, and has a 10-person administrative staff. Its mission is to protect and serve employees and visitors while on state property and grounds throughout the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and at state office buildings in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton. These services are accomplished by foot patrol, bicycle patrol, K-9 patrol, and marked vehicle patrol. The Capitol Police has full arrest powers within its jurisdictional boundaries in Dauphin, Allegheny, Philadelphia, and Lackawanna Counties and maintains a 24/7 presence in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
The Pennsylvania Capitol Police is a multifaceted law enforcement agency with varied responsibilities that has evolved into a highly trained and professional law enforcement agency. This has not always been the reputation and image of the department. When Capitol Police Superintendent Richard S. Shaffer, who was appointed in January 2004, took command of the department, great strides were made toward improving the professional image of the agency. Superintendent Shaffer was previously the Chief of Police of the neighboring Harrisburg Bureau of Police, where he led that agency to its initial CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation and its first reaccreditation. He was well acquainted with the benefits of accreditation and knew it was a method by which he could bring accountability to the department, as well as instill a sense of departmental pride in the officers and employees. He immediately began taking steps to professionalize the agency and to work toward earning respect and gaining the “trust factor” from other law enforcement.
The Capitol Police began first by achieving Pennsylvania Statewide Accreditation in July 2005, and within a few months, enrolled in the CALEA Process. Superintendent Shaffer also began by treating the officers like law enforcement professionals. As the department began to put into place the various policies and procedures that were needed to meet CALEA Standards, including additional training requirements for officers, the image of the department also began to change. Now all sworn personnel meet the certification and standards of the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers Training and Education Commission and attend mandatory annual update training to maintain Pennsylvania Police Officer Certification. To assure a continued high level of service to the community it serves, the Capitol Police not only attend, but also conduct constant training in all areas of police service.
With the advancement to a more professional image that came with being enrolled in CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation, came other recognition. The Capitol Police sought and was awarded grants for upgrading some equipment needs and services. Now other law enforcement agencies come to it for assistance, for example, seeking its expertise with its new photo enhancement equipment. Additionally, other department services have developed the respect of others and have become a leader in innovation. The certified K-9 Unit is often called upon to assist a variety of federal, state, and local agencies. The department’s elite, voluntary Ceremonial Unit, composed of a Color Guard and an Honor Guard, routinely represents the Capitol Police at numerous formal functions, dedications, and memorials, and has also “presented the colors” at numerous statewide professional sporting events and major parades. And recently, the Capitol Police Communications Center became one of the first to utilize the Commonwealth’s new 800 MHz state-wide radio system.
The achievement of CALEA Accredited status by the Pennsylvania Capitol Police at the July 2007 CALEA Conference in Montréal, Quebec, is yet another of the numerous management reforms that began under former Secretary of General Services, Donald Cunningham, and former Deputy Secretary, Daniel Wheeler. The emphasis on law enforcement professionalism and accountability placed there by Superintendent Shaffer will continue under the direction of Secretary James Creedon and Deputy Secretary Todd Garrison. The Capitol Police is deservedly proud to be only the 10th agency in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to achieve CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation.
Special Investigator Robert J. Rapak, Office of Professional Responsibility
Pennsylvania Capitol Police
