ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Stemming gun violence is a personal and political mission for Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Austin Davis. He touted his Safer Communities tour Friday as a means to do so.
After showing off his trademark affable style inside Allentown's Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, Davis soon got serious.
"We can't thrive as a Commonwealth unless we are meeting that basic need of safety and security," he told a crowd of people which included other Democratic state legislators, Allentown and Easton's mayors, as well as members of the community.
Davis, who heads Pennsylvania's Commission on Crime and Delinquency, is highlighting initiatives funded by the department, that focus on curbing gun violence in communities across the state.
It's a mission Promise Neighborhoods, a community-based nonprofit focused on inner-city youth, shares.
"We hire staff, credible messengers. We employ people who, it's hard for them to find a job, they have relatable, livable experience," said Director of Operations Jennie Garcia.
Garcia is part of that experience. She lost her 17-year-old son to gun violence in 2012.
The organization, along with Lehigh Valley Health Network, has received over $4 million in PCCD grants since 2021 to help with community-based programs to obviate gun violence.
"There is not going to be a magic recipe to solve this problem. It's going to take us coming together, elected officials, community leaders," Davis said.
Currently, elected officials are far apart on gun reform.
The state House passed a series of gun reform bills, including red flag laws, expanded background checks for all guns, and closing the gun show loophole. The bills haven't made it out of the Senate's State Government Committee.
Despite his disappointment, Davis remains optimistic.
"It's going to be a comprehensive approach, it's not going to be just the laws," he said.
Republican state Sen. Jarrett Coleman said he does not support the gun reform bills, as he feels they infringe on people's Second Amendment rights.
One thing Republicans and Democrats do agree on is $40 million in the budget for gun violence prevention and intervention programs, which Promise Neighborhood represents.
According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been 365 mass shootings so far this year across the country, with more than 22,000 people dying from incidents involving guns.
In Allentown, police say 25 shootings have happened in the city, compared to 26 all of last year and 47 in 2021.
