Harrisburg, PA – As Pennsylvania sees a welcome decline in homicides statewide, state and local leaders stress 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 & Youth Programs
- Job Training
- Street Outreach
- Enhanced Collaboration Between Law Enforcement & Community-Based Organizations
- Victims’ Services
- & 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. Increased funding will also ensure that survivors, families, and communities continue receiving the resources and support they need to heal in the aftermath of violence.
Since Governor Shapiro took office in January 2023, PCCD has:
- Re-established Pennsylvania’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and released an Initial Report and Strategic Plan, highlighting key findings from more than 900 Pennsylvania stakeholders on the impact of gun violence statewide.
- Provide more than $90 million in funding for 177 grant projects through PCCD’s 2023-24 and 2024-25 funding solicitations.
- Spearheaded the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Initiative to identify existing resources and address gaps to better support survivors, families, and caregivers in Pennsylvania affected by gun violence.
- Secured $4 million in federal Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Grant funds to expand hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) statewide.
- Provided over 800 technical assistance sessions to 135 community-based gun violence organizations receiving PCCD grant funding through PA Peace Alliance.
