SENATOR ART HAYWOOD

Gun Violence Prevention

Every two days, three people are murdered by guns in Pennsylvania. Gun violence tragedies are an unacceptable threat to our public health, and we must do our part to improve neighborhood safety. Senator Haywood supports efforts to ensure dangerous people do not have access to guns. He has introduced SB701 to limit the purchase of handguns to one person per month. The senator is also sponsoring legislation that would implement fingerprint handgun licensing in Pennsylvania. According to the John Hopkins Center on Gun Policy and Research, states with similar legislation have lower firearm-related death rates than those without such laws.

Join Us as a Gun Violence Prevention Advocate!

Gun Violence Prevention Advocate!

Sen. Haywood Encourages Groups to Apply for Violence Intervention Grants

September 7, 2022


anti gun

6 DEMANDS FOR MAYOR KENNEY

TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE IN PHILADELPHIA

  1. Convene a decision-making gun violence committee, including 7 agencies, that meets WEEKLY
    IN NEIGBORHOODS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF GUN VIOLENCE:
  2. Create a “See Something, Say Something” media campaign
  3. Hire people in neighborhoods to clean up blocks
  4. Direct counseling, behavioral health & social services to affected families and youth
  5.  Direct jobs & job training to affected youth in cooperation with employers & training programs
  6. Hire & provide grants to proven gun violence  interveners to engage likely shooters

Gun Violence Prevention Strategies Webinar

April 8, 2022 at 10:20 a.m.

Watch Senator Haywood’s Gun Violence Prevention Strategies webinar below. The keynote speaker was Sal Martinez, Chief Executive Officer of Employment Connection of St. Louis. Mr. Martinez presented successful strategies used in St. Louis to reduce gun violence in 2021. 


Gun Violence Prevention Resources

In case of Emergency, call the police by dialing 911
Mt. Airy – Fall 2022
Download PDF

VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION

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PHILADELPHIA CEASEFIRE

– Contact Marla Bellamy at 215-806-8493 or marladb@temple.edu

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GROUP VIOLENCE INTERVENTION (GVI)

– Contact Office of Violence Prevention at 215-686-0789 or ovpinfo@phila.gov

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PHILADELPHIA ANTI-DRUG/ANTI-VIOLENCE NETWORK (PAAN)

– Call 215-940-0550

VIOLENCE INTERVENTION

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MENTAL HEALTH

Community Behavioral Health
           • Call Eduardo Collazo at 215-413-3100
           • For non-emergency services, call the 24/7 hotline at 888-545-2600
Philadelphia Mobile Crisis
           • Call 215-685-6440

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SOCIAL SERVICES

Department of Human Services ChildLine
           • Call 1-800-932-0313
Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry (Financial Help,Energy/Utility Aid, Food Cupboard)
           • Call 215-843-2340
Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline
           • Call 1-866-723-3014 or 1-866-SAFE-014
Social Impact Cafe
           • Contact Ericka Stewart at thesocialimpactcafe@gmail.com or leave a message at 267-325-4226

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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ACTION FOR JUSTICE COLLECTIVE

– E-mail Michael Brown at afjcollective@gmail.com

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TOWN WATCH INTEGRATED SERVICES (TWIS)

– Contact Anthony Murphy at 215-686-1459 or anthony.murphy@phila.gov

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7GS

– Call 215-264-2886 or e-mail herbertburch1949@gmail.com

VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION

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SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE

Every Murder is Real (EMIR)
           • Call 215-848-4068
Northwest Victims Services
           • Call 215-438-4410

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BLOCK CLEAN UPS

Philadelphia More Beautiful
           • Call 215-685-3969

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JOBS

PA CareerLink® Philadelphia, Northwest
           • Contact Dominique Butler-Jones at 215-987-6503
Philadelphia Youth Network, Inc.
           • Call 267-502-3800 or visit www.pyninc.org

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MENTORING

We Heard You
           • Contact Cherese Akers at 267-940-7256 or weheardyoumentor@gmail.com
Urgent 365
           • Contact team@urgent365.org with questions or visit urgent365.org.
Men Who Care of Germantown, Inc.
           • Call 267-335-4786 or visit menwhocareofgermantown.org

Revised as of 8/2/22

Gun Violence Reduction Recommendations

The following recommendations were the result of meetings with Every Murder is Real (EMIR),  Philadelphia Ceasefire (CureViolence), Mothers in Charge, CeaseFire PA, Moms Demand Action, Heeding God’s Call and my office.

01

Provide funding for youth mentoring programs that connect young people to caring adults who can provide guidance and counterbalance negative influences.

02

Provide funding for life skills training programs that strengthen youth’s ability to negotiate challenges and build a positive future. Life skills training must include:

  • Understanding your emotions;
  • Self-awareness;
  • Breaking stereotypes and defying neighborhood expectations;
  • Coping skills; and
  • Identifying strengths vs. weaknesses.

03

Provide funding for conflict intervention and anger management training for at risk populations in schools and juvenile justice centers.

04

Provide support for victims of crime to prevent victims potentially becoming perpetrators.

05

Provide funding for counseling and interventions to victims and perpetrators of community violence at hospitals and emergency wards.

06

Work to break down antagonistic attitudes between citizens and police by posting positive police and community interactions via TV, social media, and YouTube.

07

Commit the City’s highest level of leadership to convening citywide anti-gun, anti-violence conference(s).

08

Create safe and lawful ways for youth to earn money and learn to work.

09

Expand access to job training and vocational training.

10

Promote anonymous mobile crime reporting application(s).

11

Increase support for cleaning and maintaining blighted land and buildings. Clean and safe environments can provide hope.

12

Make gun trace information available to the public.

13

Put more effort into investigation and prosecution of straw purchase of illegal gun sales.

Senate Democratic Request Disaster Declaration on Gun Violence

N

Establish a task force led by the Department of Health to create and implement a public health framework for addressing gun violence

N

Establish a command center in the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to coordinate state and local law enforcement response

N

Enhance the Joint-Local State Firearm Taskforce through additional personnel and funding to take illegal guns off the street

N

Expand information gathering and sharing between all levels of law enforcement and community groups

N

Increase law enforcement presence, both local and state, in targeted areas where gun violence is most prevalent

N

Expedite and expand grants and other funding sources for community groups and nonprofit associations with a proven record of violence reduction and prevention

N

Provide additional state resources for behavioral and mental health

N

Bringing to bear the significant wealth of knowledge and experience in the Departments of Health and Human Services to provide de-escalation and de-confliction training throughout the community

N

Require the Pennsylvania Department of Education provide training and professional development on trauma-informed education

Legislation

Restrictions on the Sale and Purchase of Military Grade Weapons and Accessories

In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to put restrictions on the sale and purchase of military grade weapons and accessories.

According to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a military grade weapon is defined as having the capacity to release a large amount of ammunition in a short amount of time all while the user keeps complete control of the weapon. Accessories to these weapons are added with the purpose of causing additional harm to the proposed target in a manner more efficient than before. Military grade ammunition can also be easily purchased, including body armor piercing bullets which are colloquially called “cop killers” on the streets. These accessories and others were made for no purpose other than taking the life of another human being.

Senate Bill 138 – Safe Storage of Firearms

Millions of children live in homes with easily accessible firearms. A 2018 study found that 4.6 million minors in the U.S. live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm. In fact, most children know where their parents keep their guns — even if their parents think otherwise.

From 2005 to 2014, roughly 20,000 American minors were killed or seriously injured in accidental shootings; the majority of those killed in these tragic accidents were aged 12 or younger. Child access prevention (CAP) laws are an important tool for reducing these preventable shootings. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have enacted child access prevention laws – Pennsylvania isn’t one of them.

Senate Bill 90 – Extreme Risk Protection Orders

This legislation that will add Pennsylvania to the growing list of states that utilize Extreme Risk Protection Orders. This life-saving policy can help protect our communities from mass shootings, firearm suicides and other acts of gun violence.

An Extreme Risk Protection Order (“ERPO”) provides a mechanism for law enforcement and loved ones to request a Court order to temporarily restrict an individual’s access to firearms when they clearly present a danger to themselves and others. All requests for an ERPO must be based on the observations and safety concerns of local police officers, family members or other loved ones, all of whom are seeking the Court’s help with the goal of preventing firearm tragedies.

Senate Bill 88 – Universal Background Checks for Firearms

This legislation eliminates most of the exceptions to the requirement of a background check prior to the purchase or transfer of a firearm. The close familial transfer exception to the background check requirements would remain under this legislation. Senate Bill 209 was the product of continuing work on this issue with various stakeholders.

Currently, the Crimes Code requires firearm sales be conducted in front of a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or county sheriff. However, this provision is only applicable to short-barreled firearms. Long barrel firearms, such as semi-automatic rifles, are not currently subject to these restrictions. This legislation would remove this applicability provision and require all firearm sales, regardless of the barrel length, be conducted in front of a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or county sheriff.

Senate Bill 254 – Assault Weapons Ban

This legislation would enact an assault weapons ban in Pennsylvania. This bill would mirror language that is very similar to what was enacted in Connecticut after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which is considered to be some of the toughest in the nation.

Under Pennsylvania law, both assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are legal. There was a federal ban on these types of weapons nationwide which began in 1994. However, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004 and the sunset provision was never renewed. For the 10 years that the injunction was in effect, it was illegal to manufacture the assault weapons for use by private citizens. The law also set a limit on high-capacity magazines – these could now carry no more than 10 bullets. However, any weapon or magazine that was manufactured before the law went into effect in 1994 was perfectly legal to own or resell.

Haywood on Gun Violence Prevention

Lawmakers and activists gather at State Capitol to recognize Gun Violence Awareness Day