Investing in Safety: Shapiro-Davis Administration visits OIC Philadelphia to highlight workforce development and violence prevention

With funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grant program, the nonprofit Opportunities Industrialization Center of Philadelphia (OIC) is expanding its free workforce development training program. This initiative has provided workforce training to 157 justice-involved individuals since 2023.

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Officials from the Shapiro-Davis Administration visited OIC Philadelphia to highlight how the combination of job training and comprehensive support services has helped individuals overcome barriers, reduce violence, and foster safer communities. The visit underscored the significance of continued investments in community-based programs that transform lives and strengthen neighborhoods.

Last year, Pennsylvania saw a 23 percent decrease in homicides— from 880 in 2023 to 671 in 2024— which is a more substantial reduction than the national average decline of 15 percent. Ongoing investments, such as the VIP grant program, are likely contributing to the meaningful progress many communities across Pennsylvania are making in reducing gun violence.

“Community-based organizations like OIC Philadelphia demonstrate daily that when we invest in people, we invest in safer neighborhoods,” said PCCD Executive Director Kirsten Kenyon. “By pairing workforce training with support for basic needs and behavioral health, OIC is helping to reduce violence and initiate lasting change in Philadelphia communities.”