(Harrisburg, PA) — CeaseFirePA today welcomed the passage of Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 state budget, which sustains funding for the state’s Violence Intervention Program (VIP). The budget allocates $62.5 million to funding for the evidence-based Violence Intervention Programs, the same level as last year. These resources have driven historic decreases in gun homicides across Pennsylvania.
Adam Garber, CEO of CeaseFirePA, made the following statement:
“These programs have made Pennsylvanians safer than they have been in decades, saving thousands of lives. That’s more birthdays, summer barbeques, and vacations with whole families thanks to the tireless work of violence interrupters powered by this funding. Thanks to the determination of CVI Leaders, survivors, community leaders, and public safety champions, lawmakers and Governor Shapiro have made another bold step towards a Pennsylvania free from gun violence.
“This is also a reminder that it’s a bipartisan issue with legislators on both sides of the aisle publicly supporting this funding. This confidence in community violence prevention will save lives, and also save millions of dollars for the state by reducing the human and economic costs of gun violence.
“This continuation in funding means more interrupters on the ground, more reentry programs, and more neighborhoods freed from the trauma of gun violence.”
Across Pennsylvania, CVI programs have already helped communities achieve historic reductions in gun violence. According to an analysis by the CeaseFirePA Education Fund of Gun Violence Archive data between 2022 and 2025:
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- Gun homicides in Pennsylvania fell 46.5% since their 2022 peak
- In 2025, 495 people died in Pennsylvania from gun homicides — a 15% decline from 2024.
- Philadelphia saw a 52% reduction in gun violence over two years — the lowest levels in a decade.
- Allegheny County reported a 30% drop in gun violence in that same timeframe.
- In 2025, Philadelphia recorded the fewest homicides in nearly 60 years.
Since 2021, Pennsylvania has invested nearly $400 million in proven violence prevention programs. Every dollar invested saves an estimated $5 in healthcare, economic and societal costs.
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As the Commonwealth’s leading gun violence prevention organization, CeaseFirePA Education Fund organizes communities closest to the issue, holds those in power accountable, and maximizes the strengths of every member in its broad coalition.
