Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joins gun safety advocates, family members of gun violence victims to call for investment in state office of gun violence prevention

Davis joined gun safety advocates and family members of gun violence victims at the Capitol to call for an investment in the state Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which is a key part of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget and plan to make Pennsylvania communities safer.

“Every Pennsylvanian, no matter what they look like or where they live, deserves to be safe and feel safe in their home and in their neighborhood,” said Davis. “We’re making strides to make Pennsylvania communities safer, but gun violence rates are still unacceptably high, particularly amongst young people. We can’t thrive as a Commonwealth if we aren’t delivering on the basic need for public safety in every neighborhood and in every community.

“Our investments in safer communities are making a difference, but we need to double down on our efforts and make sure they’re even more effective. That’s why we need a statewide Office of Gun Violence Prevention to coordinate our efforts and make sure our investments are smart and strategic.”

To address the epidemic of gun violence, the Shapiro-Davis budget will invest $100 million, including $1 million to stand up, staff, and fund the Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), which the Lieutenant Governor chairs. Since 2019, PCCD has worked with stakeholders to identify, develop, and advance strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence in the Commonwealth. The Shapiro-Davis budget’s proposed $1 million will build on these efforts and will help coordinate gun violence prevention efforts with federal, state, and local partners.