Sen. Bob Casey announces $8.5 million to combat gun violence
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Sen. Bob Casey has announced over $8.5 million in bipartisan federal funding to combat gun violence and address behavioral health across Pennsylvania.
This week the Justice Department granted 49 awards to states, territories, and the District of Columbia totaling $231 million under the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The fresh funding for Pennsylvania will support the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency.
President Biden signed the legislation into law last June. It aims to reduce gun violence by allocating billions of dollars in funding to support mental health services and incentivizing states to implement crisis prevention programs.
"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," Casey said in a statement.
The law is described as one of the most significant gun control bills in the last 30 years as it includes measures to enhance background checks for gun buyers under 21 years of age, improve school safety, clarify the definition of a federally licensed firearms dealer and establishes protections for victims of domestic violence.
The new funding comes as Philadelphia continues to be affected by the ongoing gun violence crisis. For two straight years, the city has experienced more than 500 murders. And according to the Office of the Controller, as of Feb. 14, the city has already witnessed 159 nonfatal and 41 fatal shootings.
Last month, the Philadelphia Police Department deployed an extra 100 officers to districts that experience the most gun crimes including the 22nd and 24th districts in North Philadelphia, the 25th district in Kensington and the 39th district in Germantown.
The gun violence issue can be further subdivided based on zip code. CBS Philadelphia analyzed shooting data from Philadelphia police, narrowing the top three zip codes that experience the most gun crimes in the city:
- 19124, which includes Frankford, Feltonville and Juniata, with just over 180 shootings last year
- Nearby 19140, which covers parts of North Philadelphia, Nicetown-Tioga and Hunting Park, had 196 shootings
- By far the most violent area is 19134. That area mostly includes Kensington and reveals a shocking 270 shootings
Casey believes that the support to Pennsylvania will make an actionable change through the law's holistic approach to reducing gun violence.
"This 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," Casey said.