Lt. Gov. Davis discusses state funding for new regional police department in Lebanon County

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis met with local leaders and law enforcement officials in Lebanon County to discuss the impact of state funding on public safety initiatives. The meeting focused on how recent investments are being used to establish new regional police departments.

In December 2024, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) approved a $150,000 grant to help create a regional police department serving North Lebanon and North Cornwall Townships. This funding aims to support local efforts in consolidating law enforcement resources.

"Pennsylvania is home to more than 1,000 local police departments, and many of them have struggled with recruitment and retention, especially since the pandemic," said Davis, who also serves as chair of PCCD. "The Shapiro-Davis Administration is giving communities the tools and resources they need to consolidate their law enforcement agencies, which will help address those staffing concerns and make policing safer for the officers. This is all part of our strategy to make Pennsylvania communities safer and make government work better for all of us, no matter what zip code you live in."

Lebanon County Regional Police Department Chief Tim Knight highlighted the importance of this financial support: "As you can imagine, there were many moving parts in trying to form a regional police department. Securing the grant through PCCD gave us fiscal stability for our start-up expenses."

Participants at the roundtable included Chief Tim Knight; Lt. Gov. Austin Davis; Lt. Paul Savini, former acting chief of North Cornwall Township Police Department; Michael Wahmann, North Cornwall Township Supervisor and Commission Chairman; and Arden Snook, North Lebanon Township Supervisor and Commissioner.