Mary Gay Scanlon: “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an unprecedented rise in gun violence across the entire country.…”

“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an unprecedented rise in gun violence across the entire country. While most conversations about gun violence are quickly overwhelmed by extremist rhetoric, one of the strategies to reduce gun violence that has widespread support is to make sure that law enforcement has the resources needed to investigate and clear cases that get criminals and guns off of the streets. That is why I am proud to support an important piece of legislation introduced by former police chief and our colleague in Congress, Representative Val Demings. The VICTIM Act targets resources to the things we know can help reduce gun violence. Grants would support the hiring, training, and retention of detectives and victim services personnel. These grants will also fund training, equipment, and personnel needed to process and analyze evidence in gun crimes. In Philadelphia, our Police Department would like to use such funding to support a new unit dedicated to investigating non-fatal shootings. One of the reasons I came to Congress was to fight for an end to gun violence, to protect our children, our families, and our communities. In our country today, gun violence is hitting ever closer to home. Several of my employees have lost relatives to gun violence. In November, a constituent was killed in a carjacking near his college campus.…”