Less Gun Violence in Chester, Pennsylvania

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, last week law enforcement officials in Chester, Pennsylvania, announced that this community has seen a 72 percent decrease in shootings with victims since 2019.

2023 saw the fewest gun homicides in two decades and a 68 percent decrease in gun homicides since 2019.

Chester was once ranked among the most dangerous cities in the Nation for gun violence.

So how did this happen?

Since 2019, law enforcement, community members, faith groups, and local government have all been working together as the Chester Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods.

During a period when we saw gun violence spike across the Nation, we have seen year-over-year reductions in gun violence and other violent crimes as community partners have worked together to implement a community-based violence prevention program with support from State and Federal funding, including the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

It is time to recognize the success of these pivotal programs with more than a pat on the back. Rather than offering sound bites and saber-rattling, the Chester community, a democratically led community I might add, rolled up its sleeves and did the work of identifying the resources and community partnerships needed to reduce gun violence and create a safer community.

I want to congratulate DA Stollsteimer, Police Chief Gretsky, Cory Long from Making a Change Group, and all of the community members who have been so important in this effort.

To those who say that there is nothing we can do about gun violence, I say: Shame on you.

Programs like this work, and we need to recognize and support them. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Anita Santos Singh

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Anita Santos Singh, a champion for access to justice.

At the age of 32, Anita became the founding executive director of Philadelphia Legal Assistance Center, the federally funded legal services program serving Philadelphia.

It is never easy to head up a program that provides legal services to the poor.

While legal aid is supposed to assure access to justice for low- income Americans, these programs are chronically underfunded and have been so since their inception. We spend more on Halloween costumes for our pets in this country than we do for legal services for the poor. It is no surprise that study after study shows that 80 percent of low- income Americans cannot afford or access legal help for civil problems like eviction, child custody, or gaining access to their veterans' benefits.

Nonetheless, Anita faced additional challenges of leading a brand new program which had been formed in response to the drastic service and funding cutbacks imposed by Congress in the 1990s, and she did so in the poorest large city in the country, with a shoestring budget and a couple dozen attorneys to serve thousands of clients.

I headed up the search committee that hired Anita, and we knew she was up to the job. Under her leadership, Philadelphia Legal Assistance grew into a frontline organization that now helps over 6,000 clients a year fight systems of injustice and disparity.

Anita's colleagues describe her as a tireless advocate for access to justice who dedicated her life to helping Philadelphia's most vulnerable populations meet critical needs.

Anita constantly developed innovative projects to meet the ever- changing needs of Philadelphia's poorest citizens. She created the first low-income tax clinic in Philadelphia. She expanded legal services for migrant farm workers, including addressing issues of domestic abuse. She leveraged Federal funding sources to expand family law services which is one of the highest legal needs in Philadelphia. She created the Medical Legal Community Partnership which brings community-based legal assistance to low-income patients at 17 different sites.

During the 2008 recession, she developed programs to assist families in danger of losing their homes. In 2021 she helped develop an eviction diversion program for tenants which became part of a national model.

Until her premature death last month, Anita Santos Singh was a legal services champion and advocate for access to justice in Philadelphia for 34 years.

Because of her work, thousands of Philadelphians were able to stay in their homes, put food on the table, and live a life free of partner violence. Her legacy will live on through the thousands of lives she has touched through her efforts.

Her story is a reminder that access to legal aid remains a continuous challenge in this country. For many, a single legal problem can spiral into a mountain of debt, homelessness, or unemployment. Many Americans facing legal challenges are not aware of their rights or options which can lead to stress and confusion and can often exacerbate the legal challenges they face.

We have an obligation to ensure that all Americans are aware of their legal options, and, more importantly, that they have access to representation under the law.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to honor Anita's work by ensuring that every American has access to quality legal assistance whenever they need it.

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