How state can keep supporting victims of gun violence

Commentary

Growing up, I never thought gun violence was a problem in my neighborhood. At least until I was a high school student living in McKeesport, and there was a shooting just steps from my family’s home. That day changed my life forever and eventually put me on the path toward public service.

I’ve met countless survivors and family members who’ve lost loved ones to gun violence. In the aftermath of a shooting, victims experience devastating mental, physical, emotional and financial impacts that echo throughout their lives.

We must do more to address the epidemic of gun violence. That starts with supporting victims and investing in the service providers who help crime victims recover and heal.

Gov. Josh Shapiro seeks to transfer $5 million in state funds to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. This would provide assistance for expenses such as medical bills, counseling, funeral costs and crime scene cleanup.

As chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, I had the opportunity in October to hear from Tiffiney Hall, a domestic violence survivor, who shared how this funding helped her deal with one of the most traumatic moments in her life. The program paid to clean her Dauphin County home — a crime scene — before she was discharged from the hospital, and it provided her with much-needed funds after she was laid off from her job because of her injuries.

The Victims Compensation Assistance

Program serves as a critical financial lifeline for people who have experienced crime victimization. It receives more than 12,000 claims annually, on average.

For the last few years, the program’s victimization expenditures have been outpacing the revenue of the Crime Victims Compensation Fund, putting the fund at a critical low level. The proposed infusion of funding would set the program on a more stable course, ensuring crime victims can continue to receive the support they need and deserve.

The state budget is just one way to increase our support for gun violence victims. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency recently announced a new Resources for Victims of Gun Violence initiative, which will gather input and develop recommendations for improving the availability of services and resources for survivors and communities, from those who know best — individuals personally affected.

The administration is taking these critical steps at the state level, but we need action at the federal level, too.

Attorney General Michelle Henry recently joined her colleagues from across the country in calling on Congress to authorize much-needed 2024 bridge funding for the federal Crime Victims Fund, which supports Victims of Crime Act grants to states and victim service programs.

If Congress does not act, VOCA grants are facing a 40% cut in the upcoming fiscal year. That could lead to victim service programs across the country — including here in Pennsylvania — having to close their doors, leaving too many victims without access to life-saving resources.

We often hear the adage “hurt people hurt people.” We know that victims who don’t grapple with their trauma can continue a cycle of violence that creates even more victims. Last summer, I heard from a mom who lost her son to gun violence and now works for Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, and she reminded me that “healed people can heal people, too.”

That’s why we must not turn our backs on victims of gun violence. The governor’s proposed investment of $5 million into the Crime Victims Compensation Fund will help heal our communities and save lives.

People like Tiffiney Hall are counting on us to get this right.