LECC

Each of the 94 United States Attorney's Offices has a Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, consisting of federal, state and local agencies involved in the district's law enforcement services. The goal of the LECC is to improve cooperation and coordination among the various groups, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the criminal justice system.

LECC Membership

The United States Attorney's Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee in the Western District of Pennsylvania brings together the top law enforcement officials in the 25 counties in Western Pennsylvania. All state and local police departments are encouraged to participate in the LECC. Federal members include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Reserve, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service. State and local agency members include the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, Pennsylvania State Police, District Attorneys, Chiefs of Police, Sheriffs and others.

Programming

Since the implementation of the LECC, more than 600 local police departments in the district, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, county District Attorneys, Sheriffs and detectives, university and college police/security officers, as well as numerous community organizations, elected officials and school administrators, have been made aware of the role and responsibilities of the United States Attorney's Office.

Over the past 20 years (since the LECC program began in 1989), the LECC has sponsored or conducted more than 1,000 training seminars, with more than 90,000 participants. All programs are provided free of charge, due in large part to the partnerships formed by the LECC with the Western Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, the Allegheny County Chiefs of Police Association, the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, the Crime Prevention Association of Western Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, the FBI National Academy Associates, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and other law-enforcement related organizations.

One of the most successful initiatives of the LECC is the "Community Oriented Schools: Adopt a School Program." What began in 1999 as an innovative program in one school to improve students' performance and attendance and to encourage students to become responsible and accountable citizens, has now been implemented in more than 70 schools across the district. Programs aimed at children from Kindergarten through 12th grade can range from periodic visits to comprehensive classes spanning the entire school year. The primary component of the programs includes implementing student police academies, which offer more than 30 subjects that can be incorporated into social studies, civics, history, career, or government classes from which participating schools may choose. Instructors, recruited from federal, state and local police, human service agencies, business and community groups provide students with real-life perspectives, which stress the importance of obtaining a good education, living healthy and drug free, and abstaining from violent and/or criminal activity.

The District's LECC Manager can be reached at 412-894-7400.