HARRISBURG – Chester County Rep. John Lawrence has been appointed to chair the newly established House Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order. The committee is the result of House Resolution 216 which recently passed the PA House with bipartisan support. The panel will examine all aspects of law enforcement in Philadelphia, including prosecution, sentencing, the rights of crime victims, and the city’s use of funds for law enforcement. They will also review the performance of public officials empowered to enforce the law, including the district attorney, and make recommendations for removal from office or other appropriate discipline, including impeachment. The review comes in response to increasing public concern about rising crime rates in Philadelphia, which set a record number of homicides in 2021. Current trends suggest 2022 could set another murder record. The committee will work through the summer and present recommendations to the full House in the fall, along with a report of the committee’s findings.
REP. JOHN LAWRENCE