County probation officers are now permitted to wear body cameras on the job, which they were previously unable to do under Pennsylvania’s Wiretap Act.
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Nov. 9 held a ceremonial signing for Act 81 of 2026, which state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro sponsored earlier this year when Erie County Council learned that body cameras it purchased could be used by sheriff’s deputies but not adult and juvenile probation officers.
The Wiretap Act prohibits non-consensual recording of conversations, but exempts certain members of law enforcement, including municipal police, state parole agents and sheriff’s deputies. Until Act 81, county probation officers were not explicitly exempt from the law.
“At the end of the day, this legislation is about making our communities safer and ensuring that both the community and the law enforcement officers that serve have the proper protections they deserve,” Bizzarro, of Millcreek Township D-3rd Dist., said in a statement. “Body cameras provide an extra layer of security, accountability and transparency that benefits everyone involved.”
The bill passed on Oct. 21. Shapiro signed it into law the next day.
Erie County Council approved funding in November 2025 to buy the cameras for the Sheriff’s Office, as well as Adult and Juvenile Probation.
The fatal shooting of 43-year-old Erie resident Marchello D. Woodard by state parole officer Kevin Seelinger in July 2025 served as a catalyst for the county to review its own security policies. Seelinger did not wear a body camera at the time of the shooting despite being legally exempt from the state’s Wiretap Act.
Seelinger was charged with criminal homicide and other charges. A jury found him not guilty in October.
“While this law cannot change the past,” Bizzarro said in a statement, referencing Woodard’s death, “it gives us an opportunity to make meaningful improvements that could help protect lives in the future. That’s something that matters to all communities across Pennsylvania.”
