HARRISBURG, PA — One year after being re-established under Governor Josh Shapiro’s Executive Order 2024-02, the Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) convened its first Advisory Group meeting on Tuesday, September 9, bringing together stakeholders from across the Commonwealth to advance strategies aimed at reducing gun violence.
The meeting follows a year of data-driven planning and community engagement by the OGVP, including seven statewide listening sessions, more than 800 survey responses, and the release of its Initial Report and Strategic Plan earlier this year. The plan outlines a comprehensive roadmap focused on prevention, intervention, and collaboration across local and state agencies.
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, who chairs the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), emphasized the importance of translating research into actionable solutions. “By bringing together committed individuals from every corner of the Commonwealth, we are turning research and stakeholder input into real strategies that will save lives and make our communities safer,” Davis said.
According to the OGVP, Pennsylvania saw notable progress in 2024, with homicides statewide dropping 23 percent — surpassing the national decline of 15 percent. Philadelphia recorded a 36 percent decrease in homicides last year and an additional 22 percent reduction so far in 2025. Other violent crimes involving firearms also declined, including a 15 percent drop in aggravated assaults by firearm and a 32 percent decrease in armed robberies.
Despite the improvements, officials stressed that gun violence remains a significant public health challenge. Firearm-related injuries remain the leading cause of death among children and adolescents, Black Pennsylvanians are more than 22 times more likely to die by gun homicide than white residents, and suicides accounted for 60 percent of all gun deaths in 2023.
PCCD Executive Director Kirsten Kenyon highlighted the agency’s focus on collaboration. “By bringing together survivors, advocates, public safety and health experts, and leaders from state and local agencies, we are joining forces instead of working in silos,” Kenyon said.
To address the crisis, the OGVP has increased investments in community-based intervention programs, enhanced data collection efforts, expanded youth safety initiatives, and promoted secure firearm storage practices. Since January 2023, PCCD has awarded $85 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention grants to support over 130 projects statewide and has committed an additional $4 million in federal Byrne SCIP funding to reduce gun violence and strengthen behavioral health crisis responses.
The OGVP plans to launch regional advisory groups later this fall to further engage communities and shape localized prevention strategies. The office’s leadership says these efforts represent a sustained commitment to tackling the root causes of gun violence and supporting affected families across Pennsylvania.
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