PA leaders announce 'historic funding' in gun violence investigation and prosecution efforts in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes and Representative Joanna McClinton announced $50 million in new grant money across the city to enhance gun violence investigations and prosecution.

$5 million will go to SEPTA, which they plan to use in part for their ZeroEyes pilot program, an artificla intelligence-based gun detection video analytics platform that can alert police within seconds; $20 million to the Gun Violence Task Force within the District Attorney’s Office, and $25 million to the police department’s Office of Forensic Science.

Task Force Supervisor William Fritze says the funds will be used to expand the size of their evidence lab and their ability to share intelligence across the task force and among other departments, like police.

"Those labs extract cell phones, look at Instagram, anything that you can think of digitally," Fritze said.

At the Office of Forensic Science, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw says the money will be used to explore a larger facility, purchase more equipment, and hire a much-needed 120 additional forensic science, an effort they plan to start as soon as possible, to increase turnaround time.

"Timely forensic science has the potential to ID serial criminals before they are involved in multiple shootings, sexual assaults, homicides or other violence offenses," Outlaw said.

The press conference was held at the Mill Creek Recreation Center. One of their employees, 40-year-old Tiffany Fletcher, was killed in September after she was caught in the crossfire of a shootout when preparing to welcome students into the center.

Police have arrested two juveniles and they are looking for at least one additional person involved, according to officials. Immediately after the shooting, police were able to recover a ghost gun used in the crime.

"This grant puts us on a path to working the evidence as it comes in putting leads out much more quickly," said Director Mike Garvey.

Fletcher’s loved ones were unaware of the Thursday press conference. They caught up with FOX 29 beforehand about spending another holiday without her.

"It really hurts, bad, really bad, sometimes you can’t believe it," said Avery Bessellieu, the father of Tiffany’s children.

"Everybody everyday is losing someone, women, children, doesn’t matter, to gun violence, it has to stop," says Jean Fletcher, Tiffany’s oldest niece.

Senator Hughes said on Thursday that in January, they will announce the community-based, neighborhood groups in the city that will also receive grant money for their gun violence prevention efforts.

Fletcher’s sister-in-law, Shana, says Tiffany dedicated her life to that type of work. She sees an investment into those that work with children as a way forward.

"If they’re going to invest the money into it, we’re all for it," Shana said.

The family is continuing to fundraise for Tiffany’s three boys through a GoFundMe.

Police say $30,000 worth of rewards are being offered for information that leads to a conviction in the case, one reward for a shooting near a playground and another ongoing reward for homicides in the city.