WASHINGTON D.C., DC — U.S. Senator Bob Casey on Wednesday announced $8.5 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to enhance behavioral health and crisis care programs and combat gun violence.
“When we passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we fought to include community violence prevention initiatives to stop the scourge of gun violence plaguing communities across Pennsylvania,” the Democratic senator said in a statement. “This ($8,548,557) funding will help the Commonwealth implement programs to more effectively respond to this crisis. It’s a strong step in our ever-urgent fight to end gun violence.”
The Justice Department announced today 49 awards to states, territories and the District of Columbia as part of the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program.
This investment of over $231 million will fund state crisis intervention programs and extreme risk protection order programs that work to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. This investment in community safety is authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, historic legislation to address and reduce gun violence.
As a supporter of the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, Casey has long worked to improve the systems to address behavioral health and crisis intervention.
Additionally, his LEAD Initiative would connect people and police with the resources they need, identify more effective means to divert crisis situations and better prepare law enforcement on how to respond to them.
Read more about Senator Casey’s LEAD Initiative here.
