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Pennsylvania constables are the people's own law enforcement — directly elected by the voters and empowered to make arrests by statute, not by the grace of any agency or court. In Commonwealth v. Wiggs, a divided Superior Court took a step toward writing that authority down. We believe the case was wrongly decided, and we are fighting it on two fronts: an appeal to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and a legislative fix in Harrisburg. Here is how you can help defend directly-elected law enforcement from centralized overreach.

What Happened — and Why We're Fighting

On June 17, 2026, an en banc Superior Court held 8–1 in Commonwealth v. Wiggs, 2026 PA Super 126, that a constable's vehicle is not a "police vehicle" under 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 102 and 4571. We respectfully disagree. The decision treats Pennsylvania's oldest elected law enforcement officers as something less than the police officers the statutes already make them — one more move in a steady, concerted effort to narrow the authority of officers the people themselves put into office.

Section 102 defines a "police officer" as a person whose authority to arrest is conferred by law. That is precisely what sets constables apart. Pennsylvania has other directly-elected officers who enforce the law — sheriffs are elected too — but constables are the only directly-elected officers whose arrest authority is statutory rather than merely common-law. Constables alone are both elected and statutory police. Judge Stabile said as much in dissent, and his reasoning is our north star.

So we are not accepting this quietly. We are pursuing a Petition for Allowance of Appeal to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and we are asking the General Assembly to amend 75 Pa.C.S. § 4571(b)(1) to say plainly what the law already implies: that a constable's vehicle is a police vehicle. You can help with both.

Read the full case & dissent

Step 1: Find Your Representatives

The fastest, most durable fix is legislative. Tell your state representative and senator to amend 75 Pa.C.S. § 4571(b)(1) to expressly include constable vehicles. Start by finding the two legislators who answer to you.

Step 2: Send Your Message

Below is a ready-to-send message asking your legislators to amend 75 Pa.C.S. § 4571(b)(1). Edit it to add your own voice, then send it to your representative, your senator, or both.

Compose Your Message

Step 3: Spread the Word

The more Pennsylvanians who understand what's at stake, the harder it is to chip away at the law enforcement the people elected. Share this page and ask others to contact their legislators too.