READING – Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis met with law enforcement officials and healthcare providers at Reading Hospital Monday to discuss response to and prevention of gun violence in PA. Davis commended local officials in Berks County for their prevention and response efforts in regards to violence, and presented how he and Governor Josh Shapiro aim to improve violence prevention in the state. Portions of the proposed 2025-26 budget that would go to gun violence prevention includes $10 million increases for the Violence Intervention and Prevention, or VIP program, as well as the Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time, or BOOST, program. The Davis-Shapiro administration noted that law enforcement and health services in Pennsylvania need adequate support in preventing gun violence, as well as responding effectively when it happens. The Reading Hospital is currently receiving over $600,000 to improve its Violence Recovery Program, which focuses on assisting patients in their recovery when they have been victims of violent crimes.
LT. GOV. AUSTIN DAVIS