About Us

The Pennsylvania Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension consists of numerous local, state and federal agency representatives. Agencies Represented on the Task Force are both law enforcement and administrative agencies, as well as some non-governmental agencies.

What all of these agencies have in common are the knowledge, skills, and resources for the prevention and response to Bias-Related Incidents, inter-group tension, and/or civil unrest.In a January, 1998 Radio Address by then Governor Tom Ridge, Gov. Ridge condemned hate crime and recognized the work of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension "... which has developed training and programs to relieve tensions and resolve conflicts...." Governor Ridge stated that the Task Force is one way that ". . . Pennsylvanians are working together to ease tensions and to build trust among our diverse communities."The Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension is convened by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and is coordinated by that agency's Director of Education and Community Services. The Task Force meets monthly to review the Bias-Related Incidents reported during the previous month. Knowledge and resources are then brought to bear, especially for those incidents that have created or will likely create significant inter-group tension. Strategies for both prevention and response are developed and implemented, and relationships among Task Force members are strengthened in order to facilitate the exchange of information and counsel regarding inter-group problems and solutions. The Task Force also participates in the development and presentation of training for law enforcement personnel, municipal officials and community leaders. The Inter-Governmental Response Team, a sub-group of the Task Force, is available to provide immediate response to schools and communities that are experiencing severe inter-group tension.The Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension has a history that began in a formal way in December of 1971 when then Governor Shapp issued an Executive Order regarding civil disorder. The order in part read:

"It is the policy of this Administration to make every effort to resolve community problems, to establish dialogue with lawful dissenters, to preserve rights of peaceful assembly and expression, and to exhaust all reasonable means to reduce tensions before employing law enforcement elements."

. . . "All agencies will lend every assistance to reduce tensions and to help alleviate the causes of disorder, and will use such resources at their command as may be needed to establish and maintain lines of communication to an aggrieved community when called upon to do so."

Although the Executive Order is no longer formally in effect, the member agencies of the Task Force have continued to convene out of their own individual interests and out of a collective interest in serving the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.