State leaders work to combat gun violence in PA

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Police and state leaders say gun violence is a growing problem across Pennsylvania. State leaders are working to combat the issue and on Wednesday, the lieutenant governor brought the message to Scranton.

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis says gun violence is the issue that drove him to public service.

“Gun violence came to my neighborhood and shattered my sense of safety and security as a young person,” said Lieutenant Governor Davis.

On Wednesday, the lieutenant governor brought his statewide “Safer communities” tour to Scranton to celebrate a major victory in the bipartisan state budget funding for after-school programs that will help keep communities safe and give Pennsylvania kids more opportunities.

“We need to continue to make sure we are driving our resources to support law enforcement, but we also need to make sure we are continuing our preventative measures, making sure we are investing in an equality education system,” Lieutenant Governor Davis explained.

This year’s budget includes $56,500,000 for gun violence intervention and prevention.

“For the first time we secured $11,500,000 to create a statewide building opportunity through out-of-school time program which will aim to reduce community violence by providing more after-school learning opportunities for our young people,” Lieutenant Governor Davis continued.

City and county leaders joined the panel to talk about other needs to reduce violence in our community.

Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell says there are practical ways the Shapiro Administration can help.

“Quite frankly we are in dire needs of juvenile detention centers there are 13 across the state which is woefully inadequate,” District Attorney Powell said.

Peg Ruddy, the Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center is also concerned with offenders who are put back on the streets.

“I’m really going to put myself out on a limb to say we need to dedicate resources to judicial training,” Ruddy said.

When it comes to supporting law enforcement, Scranton Police Chief Tom Carroll weighed in on how the state can help as many departments face recruitment and retention challenges.

“We do not want to lower our standards, for law enforcement, we must maintain our standards, but we have to work harder at recruiting,” Chief Carroll stated.

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