YORK, Pa. — Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis was in York Wednesday morning as part of his statewide "Safer Communities" tour.
Lt. Gov. Davis launched the tour on Monday in Pittsburgh, highlighting local initiatives funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) that are helping to address gun violence and make communities across Pennsylvania safer.
On Wednesday, he met with York's mayor, Michael Helfrich; York City Chief of Police and PCCD Commissioner Michael Muldrow; and representatives from York's Group Violence Intervention initiative to discuss how these initiatives can address violence in the city of York.
According to the Lieutenant Governor's office, violence intervention and prevention funding from PCCD supports grants and technical assistance to address community violence throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on preventing and intervening with gun and group-related violence.
In York, investments from PCCD have helped to support the city's Group Violence Intervention (GVI) initiative, which was launched in 2016 to help reduce gun violence.
GVI is an evidence-based model that brings community members, social service providers and law enforcement together to address gun violence and reduce homicides.
“York is doing phenomenal work because they’re reaching folks on the ground where they’re at and they’re trying to address the root causes that lead to violence, like poverty, like access to quality education," said Lt. Gov. Davis.
“I think what you’re seeing in York is the result of when you get the right people in the right places doing things for the right reasons," added York City Police Commissioner, Michael Muldrow.
Lt. Gov. Davis said the state budget passed by the House and Senate would provide $40 million total for Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants.
This infusion of resources would help PCCD, which Lt. Gov. Davis chairs, support effective community-based initiatives.
While both chambers have approved the spending plan, the budget remains at an impasse.
“As lieutenant governor, I’m the president of the Senate [so] the minute the Senate comes into session, I’m prepared to sign that bill and send it to the governor’s desk so we need Senate Republicans to come back to Harrisburg and finish the job," said Lt. Gov. Davis.
York County received a $2 million VIP grant in the fiscal year 2021-2022 to support the GVI initiative as well as other intervention and prevention activities with various partners.
So far, grant funding has helped reach nearly 2,000 people in the York area, including 141 individuals who are considered "high risk" for violence involvement.
Funding has also supported strategies like creating a new, first-of-its-kind "More Graduations, Less Funerals" Opportunity Scholarship program within the York City Police Department in partnership with Harrisburg Area Community College to provide scholarships to those affected by gun violence.
Lt. Gov. Davis's tour will continue with stops in Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, northeast Pennsylvania and Erie.