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Urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to allocate full funding for Governor Shapiro's proposed Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the anti-violence initiatives that the Office would coordinate to address the epidemic of gun violence across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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WHEREAS, Governor Shapiro has put forth a budget proposal for FY25 that includes a proposed $100 million in strategic investments aimed at addressing the scourge of gun violence in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including funding to establish an Office of Gun Violence Prevention; and
WHEREAS, Gun violence is a pressing issue affecting communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1,900 Pennsylvanians were killed by firearms in 2021. In 2023, Philadelphia alone experienced 373 fatal shootings and 1,287 non-fatal shootings, according to the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting. Each incident of gun violence has a ripple effect that extends far beyond these individual victims, impacting entire families and communities; and
WHEREAS, The impact of gun violence is felt disproportionately in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, exacerbating the disparities that these communities face. According to a 2022 study conducted by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the poorest zip codes in Pennsylvania account for nearly half of all firearm injuries, while two-thirds of all firearm injury patients are Black; and
WHEREAS, The Governor’s proposed Office of Gun Violence Prevention seeks to implement evidence-based strategies to reduce gun violence, enhance public safety, and support affected communities, and would coordinate the Commonwealth’s anti-violence initiatives to ensure that the resources dedicated to addressing this important issue are deployed effectively; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia has taken bold action over the last several years to address the gun violence crisis, allocating hundreds of millions of dollars in new funds for gun violence prevention, increasing investments in police and public safety, and establishing the Office of the Victim Advocate. The Governor’s proposed Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention will be a valuable partner in the City’s efforts to reduce and respond to gun violence in Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Council hereby urges the Pennsylvania General Assembly to allocate full funding for Governor Shapiro's proposed Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the anti-violence initiatives that the Office would coordinate to address the epidemic of gun violence across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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