PHILADELPHIA — Police data shows violent crime declined in Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia but during a public appearance Friday in the commonwealth’s largest city, Gov. Josh Shapiro acknowledged that the issue is hardly close to being resolved.
Shapiro visited the Community Education Center and highlighted the work of Beyond the Bars, a community-based nonprofit where students use music education to disrupt cycles of violence.
The organization built 55 music labs across Philadelphia in schools, youth centers, trauma clinics and recreation centers. The program is driven by students who, through music, seek to address trauma that has occurred in their lives and create experiences to inspire positive growth into adulthood.
“In 2021, there were 562 homicides in Philadelphia, marking it the deadliest year in our city’s history,” said Matt Kerr, co-executive director and co-founder of Beyond the Bars. “Last year, that rate was reduced by over half (262), marking it the lowest violent crime rate that we had in over a decade.”
Shapiro spoke to the 42% year-to-year decrease in fatal gun violence across Pennsylvania and said violent crime on the whole is down 11%. But violence remains far too prevalent, he said.
“If you’ve been a victim of that violence, if you know someone who’s been a victim of that violence, those statistics I shared don’t matter a whole lot to you. And, I want you to know that until that statistic is zero we are going to keep working at it,” Shapiro said.
Gun violence remains a scourge on Philadelphia regardless of the data.
Five people including two children were shot and injured Wednesday, at least one critically, while swimming outdoors at a rec center in West Philadelphia, a place where Shapiro said he’s played basketball with his own children.
That same day, a man died after being shot inside a bar in North Philadelphia.
At least 20 people were shot in the city between July 24 and July 27, NBC10 Philadelphia reported, citing police information. According to 6abc Action News, 12 people were shot in six different shootings within just 16 hours last weekend.
“Law enforcement is not the only answer to the violence issues that we grapple with in our communities,” Shapiro said. “We need a multi-pronged approach to dealing with gun violence and we need it to be well-funded.”
The governor seeks an additional $10 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention grants in Pennsylvania’s 2026 budget, which has yet to be adopted one month beyond deadline.
Administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the grants are shared with community groups, universities and government agencies to target at-risk communities and address ongoing violence.
The governor seeks an additional $10 million for the Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) grant program, also through PCCD, which was introduced last year and provides funding for after-school programs as a safety and enrichment initiative.
The funds support programming like that offered through Behind the Bars.
Isaiah Robinson spoke of how he entered Behind the Bars as a student in 2020. He said he found a loving environment with mentors and peers who shared similar interests. In time, he came to consider those in the program as his second family.
Robinson said he helped bring a music program to his high school. Now, he serves as a music facilitator through the nonprofit, working at trauma clinics, homeless shelters and more.
“Because of these experiences, I’ve been inspired to pursue a career in social work. I want to do more, give more and help build the kind of future that I was fortunate enough to find,” Robinson said.