Gun Violence

Executive Order 2019-06

Signed into effect by Governor Tom Wolf on August 16, 2019, Executive Order 2019-06 tasks state agencies with working together to identify and implement evidence-based initiatives to help address the public health and public safety crisis of gun violence in Pennsylvania.

The Order established entities within state government to support these efforts, including an Office of Gun Violence Prevention at PCCD and a Division of Violence Prevention at the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Governor's Executive Order also named PCCD's Chairman as a senior advisor charged with coordinating and facilitating gun violence reduction efforts in the Commonwealth. 

Finally, the Governor's Executive Order also created an 18-member Special Council on Gun Violence within PCCD charged with identifying recommendations to reduce incidents of gun violence within the Commonwealth.

PCCD Gun Violence Prevention Initiatives

Providing support for effective, community-led efforts to prevent gun violence is one of PCCD's top strategic priorities. 

PCCD's work is guided by the Executive Order and by the Report of Findings, Recommendations & Action Steps developed by the Governor’s Special Council on Gun Violence and published in March 2020. (See the “Special Council on Gun Violence” tab for more information about the Special Council and its work.)

PCCD's gun violence prevention and reduction initiatives include:

1. Funding: Supporting adoption and implementation of innovative, evidence-based violence reduction strategies through grants, with a focus on supporting community-driven approaches.
2. Technical Assistance & Stakeholder Engagement: Establishing a “Community of Practice” and information sharing network to spread promising practices and directly engage communities.
3. Data and Research: Collect, collate, and analyze available data and research to evaluate outcomes and make adjustments to strategy as needed.

More information about PCCD's initiatives in each of these areas is available in the tabs at the top of this page.

If you have a question or would like more information about PCCD's gun violence prevention initiatives, please email RA-PCCD_ExecutiveOfc@pa.gov.

Other Resources and Information

• Press Release: "Gov. Wolf Announces New Violence Intervention and Prevention Technical Assistance Project to Support Grassroots Programs" (May 2022)
  
• FY 2021 Gun Violence Reduction Grant Program Summary Document
  
• PCCD Report - Local Gun Violence Prevention Efforts in PA During COVID-19 (April 2021)
  
• PCCD Gun Violence Research Agenda
  
• Proposed Timeline and Approach
• Public Hearing on “Preventing Suicide byFirearms” (Nov. 22, 2019, York, PA)
• Public Hearing on “Combatting Mass Shootings”(Nov. 21, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA)
  
  

Meetings and Hearings

Membership Lists

• Special Council on Gun Violence Membership
• Reducing Likelihood of Accidental Shootings Workgroup
• Combatting Mass Shootings Workgroup
• Preventing Suicide by Firearms Workgroup
• Preventing Domestic Violence-Related Shootings
• Reducing Community Gun Violence Workgroup