Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th, and Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-18th, announced Sept. 12 that 13 organizations and communities from both Lehigh and Northampton counties have been awarded funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for safety measures. A total of $3,012,262 will be distributed.

“Protecting our community members and providing necessary services for victims are crucial to keeping our residents safe,” Miller said. “This funding supports development, maintenance and upgrades to notable programs to make sure our neighbors have the support they need. Last month, I met with community leaders to discuss how to keep our residents safe and the overwhelming answer was having adequate resources. I am proud to deliver on that front.”

Funding for the region includes the following.

• Lehigh Township National Incident-Based Reporting System Interface in the cNET RMS improvements (police records management system), Northampton County: $175,200

• Crime Victims Council of Lehigh Valley Inc. victim services, Lehigh and Northampton counties: $741,000

• Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley domestic services, Lehigh and Northampton counties: $654,370

• Valley Youth House committee mobile trauma-focused services 2023-25, Lehigh and Northampton counties: $208,201

• Northampton County public defender client advocate, Northampton County: $196,795

• Allentown City Mental Health Co-Responder grant, Lehigh County: $249,200

• Forks Township super vehicles and equipment, Northampton County: $191,834

• 2024 Lehigh County Jail-Based Vivitrol program, Lehigh County: $143,787

• North Penn Legal Services emergency legal services project, Lehigh and Northampton counties: $137,170

• 2024 Northampton County Jail Based Vivitrol program, Northampton County: $128,236

• Lehigh County STOP Violence Against Woman, Lehigh County: $125,000

• Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates Association program development, Northampton County: $46,569

• Shanthi Project mindfulness and trauma informed yoga, Northampton County: $14,820

“Funding to provide essential services for victims of domestic violence throughout the Lehigh Valley is critically important,” Boscola said. “I am pleased to see over $1.5 million in funding for domestic violence prevention programs here in the Lehigh Valley that have long histories in doing an excellent job in providing services to victims of serious crimes.

“Through the allocation of over $3 million in grant funds to aid crime victims and enhance our criminal justice systems in the Lehigh Valley, the commonwealth is assisting with critical efforts to make our communities safer and better places to live,” Boscola added.

“This funding could be the deciding factor whether a victim of domestic violence has a bed to sleep in after escaping an abuser or whether a victim of a violent crime has an advocate to help them with the judicial process,” Miller noted. “We need to continue our support of these essential programs in our region.”

The funds are via the Federal Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Funds, Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Funds, State Act 80 Funds, Federal STOP Violence Against Women Act Funds and the Federal Victims of Crime Funds.