Montgomery County, PA, PA - Today, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) visited the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office to highlight their work in combatting crimes involving firearms and prosecuting perpetrators of gun violence through Operation Cease Fire, supported by PCCD’s Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution (GVIP) grant funding.
With gun violence at unacceptable levels in our communities, now is the time to make investments where it matters. That’s why Governor Shapiro proposed $100 million in his 2024-25 budget to prevent and reduce gun violence across the Commonwealth, including $37.5 million in GVIP grant funding so that Pennsylvanians can be safe and feel safe in their communities.
“Investing in strategies that improve systems and help make Pennsylvanians and communities safer is a top priority of the Shapiro-Davis Administration,” said PCCD Executive Director Mike Pennington. “Our GVIP grant funding enhances law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices’ ability to ensure they have the tools to effectively combat crimes involving firearms. The efforts here in Montgomery County are a prime example of the great work being done with PCCD funding to create safer communities within the Commonwealth.”
The GVIP grant program provides grants to support district attorneys’ offices and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute crimes related to gun violence. Funding can be used to support multi-agency gun violence task forces, personnel costs, technology, and software to improve investigation or prosecutions or increase clearance rates, firearm tracing programs, and any other efforts that aid in the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of a crime involving firearms.
“Our goal is to stay at the forefront of the fight to keep guns out of criminals’ hands. This grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is making a significant difference in that effort,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele. “On behalf of the citizens of Montgomery County and our region, I want to thank Executive Director Pennington and the Commission on Crime and Delinquency for making this investment in the safety of our communities.”
In an effort to reduce gun violence, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office initiated Operation Cease Fire in 2023, which provides centralized support for local municipalities in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting gun crimes with local and federal partners.
In early 2023, Montgomery County received more than $3,300,000 in competitive grant funding through PCCD’s GVIP grant program to help fund these efforts. PCCD funding has enabled the hiring of additional staff, including a prosecutor, forensic investigator, crime/ intelligence analyst, litigation assistant, and detectives. Additionally, funding allowed for technology enhancements, including the purchase of urgently needed cameras and computer equipment, equipment for shell casing recoveries by police departments, and specialized training and overtime costs for detectives and members of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Gun Violence Reduction Task Force.
From early 2023 through December 31, 2023, Montgomery County’s Operation Cease Fire team has arrested 62 individuals. The criminal cases are in varying stages of prosecution, with 27 cases through sentencing, and 13 offenders sentenced to significant state prison terms. The team also identified 66 gun traffickers and 510 illegal firearms; provided 305 entries in the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network; analyzed 318 cell phones using cellular investigative technology; and reduced the number of illegal firearms through the recovery of 95 straw-purchased firearms. Additionally, Task Force staff attended eight intelligence trainings to further their investigative skills.
Funding for the GVIP grant program is part of a broader $100 million proposed investment to address gun violence, including:
- A $37.5 million increase for PCCD’s Violence Intervention and Prevention program, bringing the total to $77.5 million in state funds (up from $40 million last year);
- $1 million investment to stand up the Office of Gun Violence Prevention;
- $1.5 million to increase staffing at the Pennsylvania State Police to grow the trooper force and its civilian employees in essential units to combat gun violence;
- $11.5 million to create a statewide Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) program, which will aim to reduce community violence by providing more after-school learning opportunities for young people; and
- $11 million to create more welcoming environments by building parks, addressing blight, and improving shared spaces, such as parks, streets, and playgrounds to promote safer communities.
The Shapiro-Davis budget also includes the following proposed investments to combat gun violence and improve public safety:
- A $5 million increase for the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund; and
- $1 million for a Firearm Injury Prevention Program within the Department of Health to enhance data collection and analysis around gun violence, engage in community education initiatives, support evidence-based interventions, and collaborate with county coroners and law enforcement agencies.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ali Gantz - algantz@pa.gov
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