HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania state representative from Philadelphia, Jared Solomon, is pushing for the creation of county-based gun violence task forces in response to the alarming rise in gun-related deaths. Last year, 450 people died from gun violence in the state, prompting calls for coordinated action.
The proposed bill, developed along with CeaseFirePA, seeks to establish task forces that would include law enforcement, prosecutors, local government officials, victim services, and other stakeholders. The goal is to bring together key players to combat gun violence, much like Philadelphia’s long-standing model, which has seen success for decades.
“This is a county-based task force that includes everyone with a stake in the problem,” said Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA.
Garber believes every county with a significant number of gun homicides should have access to the same resources and coordination already available in Philadelphia. Under the proposal, the task forces would fall under the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, which would provide support and require counties to submit annual reports on gun-related arrests and weapons collected.
Nate Bible, District Attorney for Beaver County, expressed optimism about the plan and his hope that Beaver County would qualify. “We would be happy to receive any help we can get, but we need a clearer understanding of the specifics—what the bill entails, the funding process, and how quickly we can get started,” Bible said.
Solomon is currently working to gather co-sponsors for the bill and plans to introduce it to the State House in the coming weeks.
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