Independent institutions that check this jurisdiction's own power — audit, ombudsman, inspector general, civilian review, ethics, and grand-jury bodies established by statute.
The Pennsylvania Auditor General is independently elected statewide to a four-year term and is a constitutional officer. The office audits state agencies, school districts, and entities receiving...
Read scorecard → 02 AuditMPOETC is the Pennsylvania POST. Established by Act 120 (53 Pa.C.S. §§ 2161–2167), it sets training standards and has binding authority to suspend or revoke certification of municipal police...
Read scorecard → 03 Inspector GeneralThe Pennsylvania State Inspector General is appointed by the Governor and investigates fraud, waste, and misconduct in executive branch agencies. The office relies largely on agency cooperation...
Read scorecard → 04 Ethics CommissionThe Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission enforces the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, including financial disclosure and conflict of interest provisions for state and local public...
Read scorecard → 05 Civilian ReviewThe CLEAR Commission was established by Executive Order 2023-21 within the Office of the State Inspector General. It reviews completed internal investigations by the Pennsylvania State Police,...
Read scorecard →Pennsylvania's law-enforcement oversight is fragmented. MPOETC (53 Pa.C.S. §§ 2161–2167) certifies and decertifies municipal police officers — a binding but training-focused POST with only one civilian seat on its 20-member commission. The statewide CLEAR Commission (4 Pa. Code §§ 6.941–6.955, EO 2023-21) reviews completed PSP, Capitol Police, and DOC use-of-force investigations, but is advisory-only with no subpoena power. Philadelphia's CPOC (Phila. Code Ch. 21-1200, 2021) and Pittsburgh's CPRB (Pittsburgh Code Art. VI §§ 660–661, 1997) are all-civilian boards with independent investigative authority at the local level; both remain advisory on discipline. No statewide independent body investigates use of force by local agencies; county jail oversight boards (61 Pa.C.S. §§ 1721–1736) govern county facilities.