The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, approved 177 projects to strengthen community safety and expand opportunities for Pennsylvania youth.
Over the past three years, PCCD has provided more than $1 billion in funding through 6,764 grants across Pennsylvania to address and prevent violence in our communities.
Harrisburg – Today, the Shapiro-Davis Administration announced the approval of the latest round of Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) and Building Opportunities through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) grants administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). PCCD’s School Safety and Security Committee approved 177 VIP and BOOST projects totaling more than $65 million to reduce gun and community violence and boost after-school programming for at-risk youth across the Commonwealth.
“Thanks to the investments we’ve made over the past three years, we’re seeing real progress in reducing violence and increasing opportunities for young people across Pennsylvania,” said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, PCCD Chair and Chair of the School Safety and Security Committee. “Today’s actions demonstrate our continued commitment to making every Pennsylvanian — and every community — safer.”
Violent crime has declined sharply across Pennsylvania since the start of the Shapiro-Davis Administration, including:
a 40 percent decrease in firearm-related crimes
35 percent decrease in homicides,
and a 26 percent decrease in assaults
According to Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data.
VIP funds support a wide range of community-based violence prevention and intervention efforts, including street outreach and violence interruption programs, reentry and workforce development programs, victim services, hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs), and more. BOOST grants, first established under VIP in FY 2024-25, focus specifically on increasing access to structured out-of-school time activities that help keep young people safe and engaged, such as mentoring, summer programs, and youth enrichment initiatives.
As part of today’s action, the School Safety and Security Committee awarded 177 projects, including 148 VIP grants, 28 local BOOST projects, and one statewide BOOST project. Priority consideration was given to projects serving areas with the highest need, including communities with elevated rates of violence and homicides, and projects that will reach the largest number of at-risk youth.
Under the Shapiro-Davis Administration, state funding for VIP has more than doubled, with over $62 million secured in the FY 2025-26 state budget. Since FY 2023-24, PCCD has approved 354 VIP and BOOST projects, totaling approximately $162 million to support community- and youth-focused safety initiatives.
The Administration has also prioritized broader public safety strategies, including providing funding for nearly 2,000 additional police officers, increasing supports for victims of crime, investing in school safety and mental health services, and re-establishing a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
On Monday, April 13, the House Judiciary Committee held an informational hearing on the VIP grant program, and welcomed PCCD, VIP Technical Assistance provider WestEd, and several VIP grant recipients to testify on the strength of the program.
“The VIP Grants program has become a cornerstone of PCCD’s violence reduction strategy. It has brought together evidence-based approaches with community-driven solutions,” PCCD Executive Director Kirsten Kenyon said during her testimony. “It also represents one of the most significant statewide investments in community safety our Commonwealth has ever made.”
Demand for VIP and BOOST funding continued to exceed available resources. PCCD received applications from 464 organizations seeking a total of more than $158 million — well above the $62 million appropriated for FY 2025-26. Applications represented 44 counties, with more than three-quarters of applicants seeking youth-based prevention funding, reinforcing the statewide demand for resources to engage youth and promote long-term reductions in violence.
Recognizing this ongoing demand and need, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has called for a $5.2 million increase for the VIP and BOOST grants program in the Governor’s proposed FY 2026-27 state budget, bringing the total proposed investment to more than $68 million.
FY 25-26 VIP + BOOST FUNDING
