Harrisburg, PA – Today, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis convened 14 multidisciplinary county and city teams and local and national experts in gun violence reduction in Harrisburg for Pennsylvania’s first-ever Gun Violence Prevention Symposium. leading a statewide effort to strengthen collaboration and develop community-driven strategies to prevent gun violence and save lives.
The symposium follows several incidents of gun violence across the Commonwealth over the past week. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) Office of Victims’ Services (OVS) supports communities in the aftermath of these and other traumatic events through a network of victim service programs and statewide resources, including the Victims Compensation Assistance Program, the Lethality Assessment Program, and the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team. PCCD is also supporting the creation of the first-of-its-kind Philadelphia Hope and Healing Center, which will provide wraparound support for victims and survivors, community members, first responders, and others affected by violence.
“Every life lost to gun violence is one too many, and families and communities across Pennsylvania continue to feel its devastating impact,” said Lt. Gov. Davis, Chair of PCCD. “We’ve invested more than $180 million in violence prevention efforts because we know communities need resources and support to address this issue. But funding alone isn’t enough. We need local leaders, law enforcement, health care professionals, and community organizations working together to understand what’s happening in their communities and develop strategies that save lives. That’s what today is about — turning collaboration into action.”
Under the Shapiro-Davis Administration, PCCD has provided more than $1 billion in funding through approximately 6,700 grants across Pennsylvania to address and prevent violence in our communities. Today, violent crime has declined 16 percent statewide since 2023, including a 39 percent decrease in homicides, a 45 percent decrease in robberies involving a firearm, and a 25 percent reduction in firearm assaults.
As part of the symposium, Lt. Gov. Davis and Rob Wilcox, former Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and current President & CEO of the Fund for a Safer Future, held a fireside chat.
“Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the strongest leaders in gun violence prevention nationwide. The Commonwealth’s commitment to coordinated strategies and sustained state investments has set a national benchmark and delivered real gains in public safety,” said Wilcox. “This progress proves that our policies, programs, and partnerships can create the safer future we all deserve, but our work is not finished. Pennsylvania must continue strengthening local cross-sector partnerships like we are doing today in Harrisburg. When public health and safety agencies, community organizations, and law enforcement work together, real and lasting progress can continue.”
A key feature of the event was an interactive Local Government Action Planning Workshop, where 14 multidisciplinary county/city teams made up of local officials, community-based organizations, health care professionals, victims’ services, public safety, and law enforcement officials collaborated with national experts from WestEd’s Justice & Prevention Research Center and The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI).
“It’s a great honor to work with our partners in Pennsylvania to help make the commonwealth a safer place where communities can thrive,” said Lori Toscano, Director, Justice Technical Assistance, Justice and Prevention at WestEd. “No single organization or strategy can address gun violence alone. This symposium brings together people working across different sectors and communities to share experiences, learn from one another, and take a broader look at their local violence prevention and intervention efforts. Our hope is that teams leave with new perspectives, stronger connections, and a clearer sense of where they can build on existing efforts to deepen their impact.”
During the workshop, local teams examined tailored data briefs based on crime trends in their communities, identified pressing local priorities, and developed short‑term action plans to strengthen their gun violence prevention efforts. The session equipped teams with clear next steps, practical tools, and new cross‑sector partnerships to support ongoing coordination and implementation, which they can take back to their local communities to reduce crime and gun violence.
“Preventing gun violence requires sustained partnership and action among community violence intervention leaders, public health practitioners, government officials, frontline workers, and public safety professionals. At a time when Pennsylvania is experiencing historic declines in gun violence, this symposium gave local teams an important opportunity to collaborate and examine what may be contributing to that progress. The HAVI is proud to support Pennsylvania’s commitment to community-driven strategies that put the people most affected by firearm violence at the center of the solution,” said Fatimah Loren Dreier, Executive Director of The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention.
Since taking office, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has made it a priority to strengthen public safety by supporting law enforcement, expanding community-based violence prevention efforts, assisting victims of crime, and addressing the root causes of violence. In 2024, Governor Shapiro signed Executive Order 2024-02 re-establishing the Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention within PCCD.
The 2026-27 state budget also includes more than $50 million for the VIP grant program, which drives dollars out to community-based organizations to reduce gun violence, and $11.5 million for the Building Opportunities through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) initiative to keep kids safe, supported, and engaged in afterschool and summer programming. The 2026-27 VIP and BOOST funding solicitations will open for application soon.