Allegheny County Council
Council calls on state to invest $80 million in violence prevention after county homicides drop nearly 60%.
Written by Amy Whipple
Council passed a resolution urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to invest in community-led violence prevention programs for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
The resolution requested that at least $80 million be set aside for the violence intervention and prevention program. It also supported the governor’s request for $12.5 million for the Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) program.
The resolution backed up the request by noting that there have been fewer shootings and homicides in part because of the state’s Violence Intervention and Prevention initiative, which includes grant funding for local government and community-based organizations.
Allegheny County saw an almost 60% reduction in homicides between 2024 and 2025 with 86% of the 65 homicides in 2025 committed with a firearm, according to its violence analytics dashboard,
While local news outlets reported a drop in non-fatal shootings in 2025, they did not include the data behind the assertion. The county also does not have public-facing analytics for those numbers.
The county established its Office of Violence Prevention in 2016. In 2023, it committed $50 million over five years to implement evidence-based public health approaches to reducing community violence.
County community violence interventions primarily focus on highest-risk populations for victimization and perpetration of gun violence. Two programs are specifically for young adults ages 18-34 and one is a school-based program for at-risk boys in sixth grade through high school graduation that uses cognitive behavioral therapy and peer support.
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