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    ICYMI: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis Highlights Violence Intervention and Prevention Program’s Positive Impact

    March 06, 2025

    WEST READING, PA – At a roundtable discussion at Reading Hospital this week, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis commended the efforts of local law enforcement, health care workers and victim service providers who have been working to reduce gun violence in Berks County, where homicides declined significantly in 2024.

    Davis leads the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which recently awarded $45 million for the latest round of Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants, including one to Reading Hospital, which has the busiest emergency department in the Commonwealth. The hospital also received a VIP grant in 2023.

    The Shapiro-Davis budget for 2025-26 includes a $10 million increase for the VIP program, as well as $10 million more for the Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) program.

    The VIP program has earned bipartisan recognition. During his House Appropriations budget hearing last week, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday expressed strong support for collaborative violence intervention programs.

    Sunday: “Once we found credible messengers in our community, everything changed. I mean, not only did it [decrease] gang violence, and in particular the retaliatory shootings. This is a model that should be available to any county that wants to look at it. … I mean I’m a prosecutor, and there are people that need to go to jail. But at the same time if we really want to decrease community [violence]… like if we want to have a safer community, we have to put the right people in jail, but we have to stop people from committing more crimes. Period.”

    As district attorney in York County, Sunday launched the county’s Group Violence Intervention initiative, which was supported by a $2 million VIP grant.

    Read/watch more:

    WFMZ: State, county officials meet to discuss gun violence and ways to make communities safer

    Reading Eagle: Reading Hospital hosts discussion on reducing gun violence

    BCTV: State Officials Visit Reading Hospital to Highlight Community-Based Programs That Are Making PA Safer

    Berks Weekly: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis visits West Reading to highlight investments in community-based programs

    WGAL: Lt. Governor holds roundtable at Reading Hospital to talk about reducing gun violence

    WCAU: Safer community grant

    Media Contacts

    Kirstin Alvanitakis

    Communications Director
    Lt. Governor's Office Media