July 11, 2023
PITTSBURGH – With a statewide tour that launched today in Pittsburgh, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is highlighting local efforts, funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), that are working to address gun violence and make our communities safer.
“No matter what you look like or where you live, every Pennsylvanian deserves to be safe and feel safe in their community,” said Lt. Gov. Davis, chair of PCCD. “We’re hosting this Safer Communities tour to highlight effective violence prevention programs and hear from folks on the ground who are doing this work, day in and day out. The epidemic of gun violence is not something we’re going to resolve overnight, but we can reduce harm and make our communities safer, if we can come together – law enforcement, health care providers, public health experts, community leaders and faith leaders – and deal with this problem in a holistic way.
“We need a comprehensive gun safety strategy, which includes enacting common-sense legislation like extreme risk protection orders and universal background checks, making continued investments in effective community-based violence prevention programs and addressing the root causes of violence.”
Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) funding from PCCD supports grants and technical assistance to address community violence throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on preventing and intervening with gun and group-related violence. The state budget passed by the House and Senate would provide $40 million total for VIP grants. This infusion of resources would help PCCD support effective community-based initiatives.
Today’s news conference featured the work of the Neighborhood Resilience Project and their mobile trauma response team and Allegheny County’s violence prevention program, which Davis helped to launch when he worked for the county executive.
The Safer Communities tour will continue over the next week with stops in York, Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, northeast Pennsylvania and Erie.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis tours the Neighborhood Resilience Project’s mobile trauma response vehicle with Rev. Paul Abernathy
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