LOCK HAVEN – Clinton County District Attorney Dave Strouse is joining fellow prosecutors statewide with a call to action to Governor Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers urging them work with the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) on issues that will better protect communities.

In a letter to the governor and the General Assembly sent this week, PDAA wrote, “Our laws need to match the realities we face. Prosecutors need the right tools to promote public safety and prevent violence, protect and support victims of all ages, keep illegal drugs off the streets and away from our kids, and keep Pennsylvania families safe.”

District Attorney Strouse said, “Clinton County faces many, if not all, of the same threats to public safety outlined in PDAA’s letter.  Clinton County frequently sees crimes being committed involving many of the concerns outlined in PDAA's letter, and many of those issues need to be addressed immediately in the interest of public safety.  I stand with my colleagues in this urgent call to action.”

The letter stressed the need for increased mental‑health and substance‑abuse treatment funding and support for recruiting and retaining prosecutors, as well as policy recommendations to address growing threats:

PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PREVENT VIOLENCE

• Gun Safety – state-level ban on deadly machine‑gun conversion devices
• Skill Game Regulations – levy a tax and enact regulations on skill game machines
• Outlaw “Swatting” – define the intentional act of making a false 911 call as a felony

PROTECT AND SUPPORT VICTIMS

• Child abuse and exploitation – expand support for Child Advocacy Centers (CACs)
• Elder abuse – update the Pennsylvania Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA)
• Victim services – fill the gap left by federal cuts to the Crime Victims Fund

UPDATE DRUG LAWS

• Illegal hemp products – define clear THC limits and regulate marijuana‑like products
• Cannabis policy – create a cannabis regulation board
• Protect minors - set the minimum age for purchasing hemp products at 21 years old

PDAA Executive Director Kelly Callihan added, “We are committed to collaborating with the governor and lawmakers to advance these priorities and address the evolving threats facing Pennsylvania communities.”

The full letter from PDAA is attached.