PHILADELPHIA, PA — In an attempt to create safer communities across Pennsylvania, on Friday, Governor Josh Shapiro joined forces with Philadelphia leaders, the General Assembly, and gun violence prevention advocates. Among the key highlights of their collaborative strategy is the rechanneling of substantial financial resources into community groups that focus on gun violence reduction.
Believing firmly that everyone in Pennsylvania has the right to live and feel secure, Governor Shapiro targets gun violence head-on. His proposed budget for 2024-25 allocates a whopping $100 million aimed at curbing gun violence. Notably, the budget reflects a $37.5 million increase for the highly successful Violence Intervention and Prevention program (VIP). The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) oversees this program.
The VIP program devotes significant investment into a broad array of community organizations. Among these organizations are mentorship programs, such as the Boys & Girls Club, afterschool initiatives including the Kensington Soccer and Philadelphia Youth Basketball, and various job training programs, all aimed at reducing community violence.
Governor Shapiro acknowledges the disturbingly high levels of violence across the Commonwealth. Speaking about the issue, Governor Shapiro expresses his long-standing commitment to combating gun violence and fostering safer communities. This commitment is reflected in his budget last year, which allocated $40 million for gun violence prevention. This year, he seeks to more than double that amount with an additional $100 million, including $37.5 million for the VIP program. This initiative has already funded numerous community projects such as the Kensington Soccer Club, which strive to predict and prevent violence before it erupts.
As a recipient of a $400,000 grant from the PCCD, the Kensington Soccer Club continues to expand its teen and adult youth programs. The club provides structured, meaningful guidance for Philadelphia’s youth, organizing year-round soccer leagues for hundreds of high school students who otherwise lack a safe, welcoming place for recreational sports.
Voices of community members and program beneficiaries echo the sentiments of Governor Shapiro. Supporters of the VIP program, such as Meredith Elizalde, the grieving mother of a gun violence victim, fervently believe in the preventive power of these initiatives. Meanwhile, Jim Hardy, the Executive Director and Founder of the Kensington Soccer Club, emphasizes the transformative impact of the funding on the lives of the young adults in the program.
Since its inception in 2021, the VIP Grant program has greenlit 256 projects across the Commonwealth, disbursing approximately $185 million in grant funding. This financial backing has aimed to reduce and prevent gun-related violence, significantly contributing to the safety of Pennsylvania communities.
As this battle against gun violence continues, Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal remains a beacon of hope. It constitutes a safety and prevention investment for all Pennsylvanians, according to Representative Danilo Burgos.
In the previous budget for 2023-24, Governor Shapiro secured $40 million for the VIP program to confront community violence. The PCCD approved this funding for 64 organizations in March 2024. The Governor’s proposed new budget also includes a $5 million hike for the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund, supporting nonprofits, community centers, faith-based institutions, and other organizations in enhancing safety and security measures.
Governor Shapiro calls on the General Assembly to bolster Pennsylvania’s laws and pass significant gun reform legislation. The Pennsylvania House has already ratified several bills to this end in a bipartisan manner, including universal background checks and legislation that bans ghost guns. Governor Shapiro supports these bipartisan bills that empower families and Pennsylvania law enforcement, demonstrating his commitment to building a diverse coalition to back commonsense gun safety reform.
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