Hill-Evans applauds over $584K in grants to combat gun violence and opioid abuse

YORK, Sept. 16 – State Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York, today announced that four grants have been awarded to York County from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency totaling $584,364.

“This needed influx in state dollars will go toward combatting the root cause of gun violence and opioid abuse by educating and empowering our citizens to focus on individualized growth and development, while making informed decisions as they progress with their lives,” Hill-Evans said. “This funding comes at a perfect time as the epidemic of gun violence and opioid abuse continues to deepen in our community; however, with these grants, we can continue this uphill battle to forge a brighter future for our youth.”

Funding has been distributed as follows:

York County: $150,000 in State Opioid Response funds which will support supplies and operating expenses as our region continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic. 

York County: $104,104 in Byrne Justice Assistance funds to support the expansion of the investigative toolkit utilized to seek justice for crime victims, the community, and criminal defendants while impartially prosecuting crimes that occur within the York County jurisdiction.

The PROGRAM, It’s About Change: $225,000 to support hiring a full-time youth outreach specialist and two part-time mentors to work with York County Probation and York City Police to identify at-risk youth in placement and community.

City of York: $105,260 to continue providing support for the Group Violence Initiative which aims to strengthen the relationships with community partners to further reduce violent gun crimes and restore the quality of life for residents.

More than $22.3 million was awarded to several organizations across the state that are dedicated to breaking cycles of violence and substance abuse in their communities.  More information about the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is available here