Because of funds provided by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, dogs in the City of Harrisburg are safer.
That’s just one outcome from an annual $2 million grant program that helps law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth prevent and investigate unlawful gambling.
According to PGCB Senior Counsel Denise Miller-Tshudy, funds from the PGCB were used in 2015 to break up a dog-fighting ring in the state’s capitol.
“A lot of times these things are million-dollar enterprises in big cities, and the grant helped break up that ring,” Miller-Tshudy said.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Monday announced that its now accepting applications from law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth for grants to investigate, deter, and prosecute unlawful gambling.
Miller-Tshudy the said the grants have been used for everything from rental cars to tablets, and to pay for overtime during operations. Law enforcement agencies also have used funds to get rid of illegal slot machines. Police departments and district attorneys will sometimes file joint applications to combat illegal gambling activities in their districts.
The grants have been allocated to law enforcement agencies through PGCB since 2006. Eligible agencies include:
- Municipal and regional police departments
- District attorney offices
- Pennsylvania State Police (when it is the primary enforcement agency in that municipality)
- Sheriffs with authority to conduct enforcement of unlawful gaming laws
- Task forces of any combination of the above agencies
- College and university police departments.
The PGCB now includes college and university police departments in recognition of their role combatting illegal gambling on higher education campuses.
