Burns: $422,000 in state funding to support criminal justice initiatives in Cambria County

EBENSBURG, Dec. 8 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, and the founder of the state House’s Blue Lives Matters Caucus, today announced $422,000 in state funding has been awarded to support criminal justice initiatives in Cambria County.

“Criminal justice is more than just police cars and jails – unfortunately it also too often includes innocents and children,” Burns said. “When I was a young man, I was a victim of violent crime and I’ve carried the literal scars from that event the rest of my life, a physical reminder of how important it is to keep our streets safe and how life-altering crime can be for victims.”

The funding was awarded Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to programs statewide, and locally included:

  • $375,000 to Victim Services Inc., to continue programs to reduce violence against women, including the partial funding of a dedicated prosecutor; training for local law enforcement and funding for victim services.
  • $47,000 for the Cambria County Child Advocacy Center, to support operations at the center.

Since taking office, Burns has helped secure millions in state and federal dollars for law enforcement and criminal justice initiatives in Cambria County, part of his $250 million-and-counting commitment to the people of Cambria County to bring funding to the region.