Trump Closed the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. How Can the State Help? (ICYMI Resources)

Updated with resources below

From Cease Fire PA:

Over the last 6 months, Pennsylvania’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention has crisscrossed the state.

They held listening sessions about domestic violence, firearm suicide, and youth gun violence. They met with community leaders to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and what we haven’t even considered.

And now they’ve unveiled Pennsylvania’s strategic plan to stop gun violence. Join us to learn more about the plan–and how important this effort is to ensuring the safety of all Pennsylvanians.

A Roadmap to a Safer Pennsylvania: PA’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s Strategic Plan

Friday, May 2, 2025 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

The PA Office of Gun Violence Prevention recently unveiled its strategic plan to prevent gun violence in all its forms. Join us to learn more about the plan–and how important this effort is to ensuring the safety of all Pennsylvanians.

You’ll get to learn about this plan from Sam Koch, the interim director for the Office and Policy Director for the Pa Commission on Crime & Delinquency.

Shantay Jackson of the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform will discuss the importance of these state offices now that the federal office is closed.

You can watch a recording here. Passcode: gvhF3&6A

You helped make this effort possible through your consistent advocacy for gun violence prevention policy–and support for community-based violence prevention programs. And it’s working with gun homicides down 38% in the last two years.

Still our work isn’t done until everyone can live free from gun violence. You’ll hear more about our work with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention as they implement the strategic plan. But, we need your voice now to ensure they have their resources to move forward quickly.

QUICK ACTIONS

Call for the General Assembly to Invest $100 Million in Safer Communities: In less than 60 days the state must pass a new budget. With the progress we’ve made over the last few years, now is the time to double down on a proven strategy to stop shootings. We’re calling on Harrisburg to invest $100 million and I’m hearing a lot of support. And, a lot of competition limited resources across the budget. Send a message to your legislator to tell them this is a priority (and yes Democratic allies need to hear this message too).
Share the action with friends: If you’ve already signed, share the petition above with 5 friends to help us spread the word or post on social media.
Bring the Invest in Safer Communities Tour to your neighborhood: We’re hosting community events where local community violence prevention partners will share stories about how their programs have prevented shootings and what happens if they have to pull back. You can join us on May 28th in Bucks County or Pittsburgh. If you’d like to plan a local community event, just email volunteer@ceasefirepa.org with some details about how you can help out and where you are, and an organizer will get back in touch.
Sign up to become a CeaseFirePA volunteer

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

We talked about a lot of different resources during the call. Here they are:

PA Office of Gun Violence Prevention Strategic Plan
Invest More to Save More: Our new report looks at how investments over the last four years have prevented shootings including evidence and narratives for successful programs.
The Missing Conversation: Rural Firearm Suicide: The majority of gun deaths are suicide, yet its rarely part of the conversation. The strategic plan is working to change that–and a new report from CeaseFirePA’s Director of Firearm Suicide Dr. Jay Breneman shows why that’s important and examines perceptions of this crisis in the area it hits hardest: rural PA.
Federal Funding Cuts hit PA Violence Prevention Programs: The federal government is cutting resources to public safety programs across the country, and its hitting PA. We’re working with local allies to fight back–and to ensure the state and city invests resources in these critical efforts. Some materials from Shantay:
- SIGN ON LETTERS FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Two letters for organizations are being organized. The FIRST, led by the HAVI, is an open letter to the public led by community-based practitioners and frontline leaders, calling on the Trump administration, philanthropy, and local governments to restore CVI funding and stand in solidarity with impacted organizations. Sign on HERE. The SECOND, led by Community Justice, is a formal letter to Congressional appropriators, led by national, state, and local violence prevention organizations, urging Congress to restore and expand funding for the CVIPI program in the FY26 budget. This letter is data-driven and policy-focused, targeting key decision-makers in the federal appropriations process. Sign on HERE.
- Legal Support: We’re working to provide legal support to our allies in the space. If you work at a firm that may be interested in providing pro bono support or other guidance, please reach out to me.