Gov. Tom Wolf announced that the Department of Health has launched a violence data dashboard to collect data on the scope, frequency, geography and populations affected by violence in Pennsylvania. The creation of the dashboard was a mandate in the governor’s 2019 Executive Order to Reduce Gun Violence.
“The executive order I signed last year included tangible actions to reduce gun violence in our commonwealth and this dashboard is one that under the leadership of the Department of Health will work collaboratively across multiple agencies to collect data we need to determine the scope, location and factors that contribute to gun violence in our state,” said Wolf. “I encourage every Pennsylvanian to view the dashboard for information that can inform policies and initiatives in their own communities.”
The governor’s executive order set forth to establish a violence data dashboard that will collect and provide data on the scope, frequency, locations and populations affected by violence, including data on the number of victims of gun violence, rates at which gun violence occurs in locations, and contributory factors. The Department of Health will coordinate with and collect data from the Department of Human Services, Pennsylvania State Police, PCCD and other commonwealth entities to populate the dashboard.
“Violence is a significant public health issue that affects many people each and every year,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine. “This dashboard will assist in providing information on the scope of violence in Pennsylvania, and the populations affected by it. Working alongside a number of state agencies, we are committed to taking steps to reduce the impact violence has on an individual’s health and way of life.”
Gun violence in the United States and within the commonwealth has resulted in the loss of human life, with more than 1,600 individuals losing their life to a firearm death in Pennsylvania in 2018.
The violence data dashboard includes data looking at death cause and hospital discharge summary statistics. Hospital discharge data is from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council. Data is also available by gender, race/ethnicity, age group and geography.
