PA State Constables are elected law enforcement officers. Some serve only on Election Day while others serve in its full capacity to enforce Pennsylvania law. Constables are elected for a term of six years.
By Nomination Petition- To be listed on the election ballot for the Office of PA State Constable you must submit a nomination petition. Nomination petitions are provided by the County Voter Services office. Request a nomination petition for PA State Constable. The Clerk will explain how many signatures are required, will provide an ethics statement to be filled out, and detail the filing fee that need to be submitted and dates. The Clerk can also provide a voter list to help you collect the signatures required. The office of PA State Constable is a partisan office similar to Sheriff, State Assembly, or Mayor. It is also possible to run as non-partisan; ask the election officer about signature requirements. By Write-In- If, on election day there is a vacancy for PA State Constable any qualified voter can write themselves in as a candidate for the office. The person with the most write-ins will be contacted by the County Voter Services office to confirm their acceptance of the office. Once the office is accepted the candidate will be sent his election certificate and an ethics statement to fill out. Fill out the ethics statement and return to the Clerk of Courts.
When there is a vacancy in the Office of PA State Constable a qualified voter can petition the court to be appointed. There is no requirement on the court to fill the appointment. Consider speaking with a currently serving constable or constable association for guidance on being appointed.
PCCD Training- To work with the Pennsylvania judiciary Constables have to complete training with PCCD. All costs of training are paid for by Constables. As of 2022 PCCD is offering Constable Basic 80hr course, Continuing Education (a yearly 20hr refresher course), Basic Firearms 40hr, and a firearms Annual Qualification 5hr course. Additional Training- Constables are responsible for their own training. There are many resources for training, some free, some paid. Monroe County provided some guidance on what training would be of value.
Certification under Pennsylvania Act 235 Certification in CPR and basic first aid Complete basic training courses in: Traffic control, Fire Police training, hazardous materials awareness, Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Introduction to Incident Command Systems (ICS), and Mandated Reporter training URL: http://monroecountyda.com/constabletaskforce/Other sources
ILEE Training Courses: The Institute for Law Enforcement Education (ILEE) is a recognized leader in law enforcement training, annually providing instruction to thousands of law enforcement professionals in a wide range of law enforcement subject areas.
Responder Safety Learning Network: Free training for traffic management
PennTime: Traffic Incident management Training and Meetups
Community College: Check with your local Community College for Act 235 Training
FEMA Training: FEMA Independent Study program provides free online training
Northeast Counterdrug Training Center (NCTC), Please Contact PAFOC President Richard Banks for more information.