Shapiro-Davis Administration Approves $13 Million in Grant Funding to Combat Gun Viol...

Funding includes $1 million to conduct a first-of-its-kind statewide needs assessment to identify and address gaps in support for victims of gun violence

​

Harrisburg, PA - Today, members of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), led by chairman Lt. Governor Austin Davis, took action to approve $13 million in a variety of grants to combat gun violence and enhance prevention programming for Pennsylvania youth. This included nearly $1 million for a new statewide needs assessment to understand the experiences and needs of gun violence survivors and victim service professionals, developed in response to the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Initiative announced by Lt. Governor Austin Davis last year.

"With the current epidemic of gun violence across Pennsylvania, it is past time to take action," said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, PCCD chair." Supporting gun violence victims must be central to those efforts. I look forward to reviewing the valuable information that will be gathered through the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence initiative and using the findings to create an actionable, equitable path forward for all Pennsylvanians touched by this epidemic."

Last September, PCCD's Victims' Services Advisory Committee announced the availability of $1 million in federal Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) funds as part of a $3 million commitment to support the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence initiative. This initial funding will be used for:

• Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to understand the experiences and needs of gun violence victims and victim assistance professionals; and
• Designing and launching a pilot strategy to establish a centralized "one-stop shop" for victims and communities impacted by gun violence, modeled after a resiliency center approach response to mass violence incidents.
• Providing gun violence victims/survivors and community members access to victim-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive resources to address immediate, short-, and long-term impacts of gun violence.​
  

The Commission also approved a $10 million framework which will result in forthcoming funding for law enforcement agencies to become compliant with National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), funding to support the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), and additional projects aligned with Pennsylvania's federal Byrne SCIP Plan to address gun violence and behavioral health needs in Pennsylvania communities.

More information about the actions approved at the Commission meeting are available on PCCD's website.

All Pennsylvanians deserve to be and feel safe in their communities. That's why Governor Shapiro has proposed more than $100 million to address gun violence in the 2024-25 state budget, including increasing resources for PCCD's successful violence intervention grant program and $1 million to stand up the Office of Gun Violence Prevention within PCCD. The Shapiro-Davis Administration will continue to fight to ensure Pennsylvanians can live in communities free from gun violence.​

MEDIA CONTACT: Ali Gantz - [email protected]

# # #

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.