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Pennsylvania Capitol Police facts for kids

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Pennsylvania State Capitol Police
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Agency overview
Formed 1895
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
Headquarters 70E Capitol East Wing, Harrisburg, PA 17125
Agency executive
  • Joseph Jacob, Superintendent
Facilities
Stations 2
Patrol cars 22
Dogs 5

The Pennsylvania State Capitol Police is a section of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services providing law enforcement, security and parking enforcement services to the State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, and at state government office buildings in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton, Pennsylvania. Their jurisdiction is primarily state owned buildings and property on the Capitol Complex. The Capitol Police jurisdiction extends to several state owned buildings throughout the city of Harrisburg and local townships.

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.

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 2020, the Pennsylvania Capitol Police received their fifth 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 2020, the Capitol Police was awarded their fifth 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

  • PA Capitol Police 3

    PA Capitol Police Vehicle

  • PA Capitol Police Bike Patrol

    PA Capitol Police Bike Patrol

  • K-9 Units

    PA Capitol Police K9 Unit

  • PA Capitol Police 2

    PA Capitol Police Cruiser

  • PA Capitol Police Fleet

    PA Capitol Police Fleet

  • Governor and First Lady Host First National Night Out Event at the Governor's Residence

    Special Response Team (S.R.T.) equipment shown during National Night Out

The PSCP 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.

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 unit trained in the detection of drugs as well as for search and rescue operations.

Units

  • Patrol
  • K-9's (Explosive and Narcotics Detection and search and rescue)
  • Bike Patrol
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Criminal Intelligence
  • Mobile Field Force
  • Special Response Team (S.R.T)
  • Active Shooter and Crime Prevention Training
  • Risk and Vulnerability Assessments

See also

  • List of law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania
  • Capitol Police
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