Latest news with #ViolenceInterventionandPrevention
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
PA highlights continued investments in violence prevention strategies
Apr. 7—As Pennsylvania sees a welcome decline in homicides statewide, state and local leaders this week stressed the need to continue investing in the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's (PCCD) Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Grant Program to sustain and expand efforts that have contributed to these positive trends. In 2024, Philadelphia saw its lowest homicide rate in a decade, and in Pittsburgh, homicides continued to decrease, down nearly 20% from the previous year. Since 2022, there has been a 42% decrease in total victims of gun violence statewide. "The progress we've made in reducing homicides across Pennsylvania is not an indication that our work is done—it is evidence that our strategies are working," said Lt. Governor Austin Davis, PCCD Chair. "Just as you don't stop medical treatments when symptoms improve, we must not become complacent in the fight against gun violence. Continued and increased investments are essential to ensuring every Pennsylvanian can be safe and feel safe in their community." The Shapiro-Davis Administration's proposed 2025-26 budget includes a $10 million increase for PCCD's VIP Grant Program and an additional $10 million for the Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) initiative — bringing the total proposed investment in PCCD's gun violence prevention programs to $75 million. In the most recent round of funding, PCCD received an overwhelming response with 478 applications requesting more than $174 million — more than three times the current allocation of $56.5 million in funding. A cornerstone of Pennsylvania's violence prevention efforts, the VIP Grant Program has supported 435 local and statewide grant projects addressing the root causes and impacts of community violence. These efforts include mentorship and youth programs, job training, street outreach, enhanced collaboration between law enforcement and community-based organizations, victims' services, and more. Sustained and expanded investments in these programs are particularly critical for populations where gun violence has increased in recent years, including children and adolescents — for whom firearms are the leading cause of death— as well as victims of domestic violence. Keeping communities safe: Senate advances key bills to strengthen crime prevention The Senate took action this week to hold dangerous criminals accountable, according to Sen. Dave Argall (R-29). "These important bills will keep our families and communities safe," said Argall. "Criminals need to know that if they commit these crimes, there will be serious consequences." The Senate approved three key bills to protect Pennsylvania communities: —Senate Bill 92 — would impose tougher penalties on drug dealers who sell fentanyl resulting in a fatal overdose. A person who sells or engages in a monetary transaction to distribute fentanyl resulting in a death would face a mandatory minimum 25-year sentence upon conviction, to send a strong message that those fueling the opioid crisis will face severe consequences. —Senate Bill 471 — would require prosecutors to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a criminal defendant is identified as unlawfully present in the United States, ensuring that individuals who commit serious crimes are transferred to federal custody for removal proceedings. The bill also would prohibit sanctuary policies that obstruct communication between local law enforcement and federal agencies. —Senate Bill 490 — would prohibit non-monetary bail for the most dangerous individuals, including those who possess 10 grams or more of fentanyl, have a history of violent crime, or assault a law enforcement officer. "These bills fight crime, protect Pennsylvania families, and ensure that our law enforcement officials have the tools they need to uphold justice," Argall said. "Each measure builds upon broader efforts to make Pennsylvania a safer place to live, work and raise a family." State invests more than $1M in veterans services; announces grant awardees through Veterans' Trust Fund program The Shapiro Administration this week announced it has awarded $1,021,640 in grants through the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs' (DMVA) Veterans' Trust Fund (VTF). The $1,021,640 in funding raised through donations will support 15 county directors of veterans affairs and 24 nonprofits and veterans service organizations across the commonwealth as they carry out initiatives to address challenges Pennsylvania veterans face, from food and housing insecurity to transportation and behavioral health issues. Since the VTF grant program began in 2013, a total of $8,504,500 has been awarded to organizations that serve Pennsylvania veterans. "Our veterans have served our country and fought for our freedoms, and my administration has their backs," said Gov. Josh Shapiro. "The Veterans' Trust Fund, supported through Pennsylvanians' generous donations, provides vital resources for the organizations that support Pennsylvania's 700,000 veterans — organizations that make sure our veterans can put food on the table, have transportation to get where they need to go, and receive the benefits they earned through their service. We will continue to work to ensure that the brave men and women who protected our freedoms have the opportunity to succeed and can prosper here in the commonwealth." "There are so many incredible veteran advocacy organizations in Pennsylvania, but they can't do all the work without financial support, and that is why the Veterans' Trust Fund is so important," said Maj. Gen. John Pippy, Pennsylvania's adjutant general and head of the DMVA. "Thanks to the generosity of so many Pennsylvanians, we are able to provide much needed support through the VTF to these organizations." The DMVA directed $201,790 in VTF grant funding to county directors of veterans affairs for new, innovative, or expanded programs or services. —The grantees and the specific award amounts to support veteran outreach initiatives included $15,000 to the Luzerne County Veteran Affairs Office. DMVA also awarded $819,850 in funding to veteran service organizations with 501(c)(19) status and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and a mission of serving Pennsylvania veterans. Funding priorities for grants in this category were social determinants of health, transportation, and employment. —The grantees, the specific award amounts, and the programs supported included Camp Freedom, LLC (Carbondale, Wayne County) — $40,000 to provide disabled veterans all-inclusive hunting experiences PA Senate committee advances bill to increase pensions for disabled veterans The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee has unanimously approved legislation to increase the monthly pension amounts for Pennsylvania's Blind Veterans Pension Program and the Amputee and Paralyzed Veterans Pension Program. Senate Bill 534, reintroduced by Sen. Judy Ward (R-30) and Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-37), would raise the monthly pension payments from $150 to $180 for veterans who suffered service-connected injuries resulting in blindness, paralysis or the loss of two or more extremities. Under current law, eligible Pennsylvania veterans receive $150 per month through these programs. The last increase occurred in 1999. If enacted, this legislation would provide much-needed financial relief to nearly 2,500 veterans across the commonwealth. As of Nov. 30, 2024, the Blind Veterans Pension Program benefits 98 individuals, while the Amputee and Paralyzed Veterans Pension Program serves 2,345 individuals. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Reading Hospital hosts discussion on reducing gun violence
Sitting inside a conference room at Reading Hospital, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said every Pennsylvanian deserves to be safe and feel safe in their communities. But the simple fact is gun violence is a serious and growing problem across the nation, the state and Berks County. And that's why Davis visited the West Reading hospital on Monday. The lieutenant governor led a roundtable discussion with local leaders aimed at finding ways to stem the tide and reduce gun violence. 'It's really important to recognize that gun violence is something we can and we must do something about here in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,' he said. 'We are here to highlight some of the successes you have made to reduce the number of homicides in Berks County, but I also know that one act of gun violence is one too many. We've been making progress on the issue, but there is still much more work to be done.' Davis, who leads the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, said Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration is taking a comprehensive approach to tackling the issue. That means partnering with lawmakers to support law enforcement and invest in community organizations working on the ground to help survivors heal from trauma. 'All of this is about creating ladders of opportunities for folks to succeed,' he said. It also means making sure those on the front lines of the fight against violence have the resources they need. Davis said the current state budget allocates $45 million through Violence Intervention and Prevention grants to support programs that work to curb violence. The governor is advocating for an additional $10 million for grants in budget negotiations. 'We know these programs work and we need to get them into more communities, which is why we need to increase our investment,' he said. Reading Hospital is a recipient of one of those grants, getting $622,649 to expand its violence recovery program. It will provide resources to prevent gun violence and community education. Anthony Martin, trauma program manager at Reading Hospital, said the funds will be used to hire and train a trauma violence recovery specialist to provide support and referral services to hospitalized victims of violence. It will also help cover costs to operate the program and fund support staff in violence intervention education. The violence recovery program, which was launched in 2004, provides targeted services to survivors and works to reduce risk factors such as substance misuse and unemployment while promoting protective factors such as social support and educational attainment. 'It's all about breaking that cycle of violence,' Martin said. 'So we look at how we might be able to address some immediate needs and then build on that to make lasting changes through workforce development or relocation services.' Lt. Gov. Austin Davis talks about gun violence prevention along with state Sen. Judy Schwank, left, and state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz during a roundtable discussion at Reading Hospital about gun violence prevention on Monday, March 3, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) The violence recovery program is, unfortunately, desperately needed as incidents of gun violence continue to increase in Berks. 'In terms of gun violence this last year, once every three days someone came in with a gunshot wound,' said Dr. Brian Lahmann, chair of the department of emergency medicine for Tower Health. 'And that was a dramatic increase from the year before.' Lahmann said gunshot victims reach across all demographics. For instance, he noted there were three children under the age of 10 who were admitted in the past month. Dr. Brian Lahmann, left, chair of the department of emergency medicine at Reading Hospital, and Dr. Eugene Reilly, vice president and chief medical information officer at Tower Health, participate in a roundtable discussion at Reading Hospital about gun violence prevention on Monday, March 3, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) 'I think the two biggest pieces to prevention are decreasing access to these complex firearms and educating those who own guns about how to properly use them,' he said. Dr. Eugene Reilly, chief medical information officer for Tower Health, agreed. 'We are talking about violence recovery, but even better would be if it never happened in the first place,' he said. 'And I think it's important to hammer home again and again that you are more likely to die from your own gun than someone else's. 'This concept of this maligned stranger coming into your life and that you need to be protected from that entity has really captured the imagination of a lot of people. But that's not really what we see. What we really see is people who are lawful gun owners that have fits of passion or poor judgment.' Those fits of passion and poor judgment often turn into incidents of domestic abuse, which has an undeniable link to gun violence, Safe Berks CEO Beth Garrigan told the lieutenant governor. Anthony Martin, trauma program manager at Reading Hospital, and Beth Garrigan CEO of Safe Berks, participate in a roundtable discussion at Reading Hospital about gun violence prevention on Monday, March 3, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) 'In many cases it's someone that you love who is using their gun,' she said. 'In 2024, there were 104 people killed by domestic violence in Pennsylvania and in 65% of those deaths firearms were used. So it's a very big problem.' Garrigan said that even when a gun is not used to kill, it is often used to threaten and intimidate. Legislative solutions Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams shared with Austin that the county has three task forces focused on getting illegal guns off the streets, and he believes it is having a real impact on the community. He noted the county saw a dramatic decline in the number of homicides committed last year compared with the number committed over the last several years. There were 12 in the county — eight of those taking place in Reading. Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams participates in a roundtable discussion at Reading Hospital about gun violence prevention on Monday, March 3, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) But, he added, there is more work to be done. When asked by Davis what changes to legislation he would like to see to address gun violence, Adams said there are three laws he would like to see enacted. The first would make possession of 'glock switches' a felony. These devices are used to modify handguns to shoot like machine guns, which amplify the impact of gun violence. The second would increase penalties for gun owners who fail to report a stolen firearm. And he would like to see funding allocated for the creation of youth detention centers. He noted that Berks is in the process of partnering with Dauphin and Lehigh counties to reopen and operate the former youth detention center in Bern Township, which closed its doors in 2012. 'Many counties in the state do not have a place to put these juveniles who commit gun offenses,' he said. 'This is a problem that needs to be addressed now because so much of the gun violence we see is being committed by young people.' State Sen. Judy Schwank said that during her time in office she has worked with colleagues to advance legislation that can reduce gun violence. The Wyomissing Democrat said more can be done but pointed to one specific source of pride — a bill that took firearms away from individuals who have a protection-from-abuse order against them. 'One of the messages that we have to get out is that it's not about taking away the firearms you are using for legitimate purposes, it's about keeping everybody safe,' she said. State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz said it's going to take everyone in the community to address gun violence. The Reading Democrat said there needs to be a return to a time when neighbors looked out for neighbors and kids were afraid to do something wrong because they knew the adults in their neighborhood would 'snitch on them.' 'This is going to take everyone — from those who are hanging out on the block to the bodega owners to the business owners to the church leaders,' she said. 'It's going to have to be each one looking out for our young people as a collective.' Reach out If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic abuse, contact the 24-hour Safe Berks hotline at 844-789-SAFE (7233) or text SAFE BERKS to 20121.
