Philadelphia – With a $4 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Shapiro-Davis Administration is continuing to invest in evidence-based strategies to make Pennsylvania communities safer and combat gun violence.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who serves as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), announced the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) grant today at Temple University Hospital, which runs a hospital-based violence intervention program (HVIP), a model that PCCD will work to expand across the Commonwealth with the new federal funding.
“Gun violence isn’t just a Philadelphia problem – it’s a Pennsylvania problem and, uniquely, an American problem,” said Davis. “However, it’s a problem we can and must do something about, and the city of Philadelphia has been making great strides to combat the epidemic of gun violence by treating it like a public health crisis and working with local hospitals and health care providers to support victims and make our communities safer.
“The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which I have the privilege to lead, has supported the hospital-based violence intervention program here at Temple University Hospital with nearly $3 million in funding, and we are also providing financial support for Philadelphia’s recently launched HVIP Coalition. Now, with this new federal grant, we can enhance and expand this strategy to even more communities across Pennsylvania.”
HVIPs provide trauma-informed care and support to individuals who have experienced violent injury while they are in the hospital and work with community-based partners to provide immediate and longer-term services and support. Research has shown these programs can help prevent cycles of gun violence by reducing the likelihood of reinjury and retaliation.
“We are grateful for the leadership and support of the Shapiro-Davis Administration as we work together to confront the epidemic of gun violence,” said Abhinav Rastogi, MBA, MIS, Executive Vice President of Temple University Health System and President & CEO of Temple University Hospital. “The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency was instrumental in helping us launch our hospital-based violence intervention program at Temple University Hospital back in 2019 with a Victim of Crime Act Grant and later with a Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant. Now we are better able to serve the needs of violently injured patients with the addition of full-time trauma victim support advocates, case managers, therapists and a workforce development specialist, and have team members at the bedside to offer support the moment the patient enters the hospital.”
PCCD recently analyzed county-level data and found there were significant gaps in service, where there are communities with high levels of gun violence that do not have access to HVIPs. This summer PCCD applied for and won the grant, which it will use to increase access to HVIPs and provide comprehensive support and training for existing and new programs:
- Increasing access to HVIPs: Supporting the establishment of HVIP models in at least two Pennsylvania jurisdictions, focusing on historically underserved populations disproportionately affected by firearm-related injuries.
- Comprehensive support and training: In partnership with The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) and WestEd’s Justice & Prevention Research Center, provide technical assistance, capacity building and training for local HVIP staff and violence prevention professionals.
“This funding opens the door for Pennsylvania neighborhoods to drive down gun violence through proven, public-health centered strategies that heal trauma, support our communities and save lives,” said Toni Rivera, managing director for the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention. “We are proud to help expand these programs, as well as provide training and technical assistance, to the communities in Pennsylvania that have historically been underserved. This is a holistic way to address gun violence, advance public safety, and build a brighter, more equitable future for all.”
This project will build on the significant investments Pennsylvania has made in the development and expansion of community-based violence intervention strategies, including HVIPs, in recent years. PCCD leveraged federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding to provide seed funding to HVIPs in Philadelphia and other communities experiencing high levels of gun violence and violent crime victimization.
Additionally, PCCD has supported more than 250 local projects, including 11 HVIPs across seven Pennsylvania counties and sub-jurisdictions, through the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grant program.
Gun violence spiked in Pennsylvania, and across the country, during the pandemic. The Shapiro-Davis Administration has focused on driving down gun violence rates by providing resources to help recruit and train nearly 1,500 state and local law enforcement officers, as well as increasing investments in community-based programs proven to reduce violence and standing up and staffing a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
In 2023, homicides decreased by 16% across Pennsylvania compared to 12% nationally, with 29 out of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties seeing declines in homicides. Additionally, Philadelphia's homicides decreased 23% in 2023 compared to the prior year and are down 40% so far in 2024.
While progress has been made, too many Pennsylvanians are still impacted by gun violence – firearm-related injuries remain the leading cause of death for children and Pennsylvania’s firearm fatality rate is significantly higher than surrounding states.