YORK COUNTY, Pa. — When it comes to gun violence, York is trending in the right direction.
“This is a machine that is finally really producing the results we’ve been looking for," said Mayor Michael Helfrich.
In 2023, the city saw a 75 percent reduction in the number of homicides, a 63 percent drop in the number of people struck by gunfire and a 50 percent decrease in shots fired incidents.
“It’s 50 percent less shooting that my mother, my granddaughters [and] the people who live here are hearing outside their bedroom window and their living rooms," said Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow of the York City Police Department.
"In 2023, at WellSpan York Hospital, we saw a 48 percent reduction in gunshot patients compared to 2022," added Victoria Diamond, senior vice president for the central region of WellSpan Health.
The city attributes the progress to a job well done by those involved, from police to prosecutors to those who have grown its group violence intervention initiative.
“What I have learned over the years is to make sure I’m the driving force of providing opportunities for these young individuals," said Tiff Lowe, who runs York's Group Violence Intervention.
The city's police department has also partnered with HACC on the "More Graduations, Less Funerals" scholarship program.
Applications are open to both victims of gun violence, as well as offenders who have served their time and have an otherwise clean record.
Family members of these individuals are also eligible to apply.
Since the program launched in June 2023, 14 scholarships have been awarded, according to police.
While York County’s district attorney believes it’s something to be celebrated, he also says there’s more work to be done.
“You have to increase what you’re already doing," said District Attorney Dave Sunday. "That’s the first part of this. The second part is you have to understand there will always be setbacks because we’re dealing with human nature.”
“There is absolutely no place I would rather be. There’s no community I would rather be fighting for," expressed Commissioner Muldrow.
Muldrow says when it comes to staffing, the department is in a good spot right now but hopes to pick up five or six more officers in the coming months.