08/31/2026
Our law enforcement agencies are facing a growing staffing crisis. In 2024, the approximately 24,300 police officers and sheriff’s deputies employed statewide was an 11-year low and 14% decline since 2013.
Representing the PSA before a recent House Republican Policy Committee hearing, Carbon County Sheriff Dan Zeigler highlighted the real-world impact of pay disparities between counties. After investing in the training and certification of new deputies, smaller offices can lose them to neighboring agencies offering significantly higher wages.
Sheriff Zeigler, who is also a member of the PSA Executive Committee, stressed that vacancies put added pressure on existing personnel, contributing to burnout and further turnover. He called for solutions including a minimum pay standard for sheriff’s deputies and state funding for retention stipends.
The less law enforcement personnel we have, the less safe we all are. Pennsylvania must take action to strengthen the pipeline into law enforcement without lowering the standards needed to protect our communities.