June 25, 2024 - Harrisburg, PA
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joined state and local leaders, law enforcement officials, victim advocates and community-based organizations at a roundtable conversation in Harrisburg to highlight strategies that are working - as Pennsylvania experienced the nation's second-biggest decline in gun homicides last year - and call for additional investments to reduce violence and make communities safer."Pennsylvanians deserve to be safe and feel safe, no matter what they look like or where they live, but that feeling of safety has been shattered for many people in Harrisburg and surrounding communities," said Lt. Gov. Davis. "The Shapiro-Davis Administration is taking a holistic approach to addressing the epidemic of gun violence, and the strategies we're funding - supporting law enforcement, as well as community-based organizations that help to prevent violence - are starting to see results. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we should celebrate progress. More importantly, we should keep investing in strategies that are working, so we can bring that progress to more communities."In February, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a state budget that invests $100 million to address and prevent gun violence in Pennsylvania communities. The Shapiro-Davis budget includes an $11.5 million investment in creating a statewide Building Opportunity through Out of School Time program, a $1 million investment to stand up and staff an Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and $1 million in funding for a Firearm Injury Prevention Program within the Department of Health.Speakers Include:Lieutenant Governor Austin DavisPA State Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair State Representative Patty KimDauphin County Commissioners George P. Hartwick III and Justin DouglasHarrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas CarterHarrisburg Police Captain Russell Winder Jr. (Community Services Division)Harrisburg GVI Project Manager Angelo CraigKia Hansard and Charla Paines, C.A.T.C.H. (Concerned About The Children of Harrisburg)Mariah Lewis, Gun Violence Survivor and Advocate
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