Dwight Evans: The VICTIM Act and Combating Crime

“No one is exempt from being a victim of some sort of crime. And it’s very appropriate that I use that title [of victim] in terms of the VICTIM Act.”

Editor’s note: Erich Prince’s two–part 2019 interview with Rep. Evans also touches on the crime issue.

On February 22nd, Merion West editor-in-chief Erich Prince was joined by Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), who represents Pennsylvania’s third congressional district. The conversation was prompted by Rep. Evans’ support for the VICTIM Act, which was originally introduced by Rep. Val Demings (D-Fl.) and aims to allocate $1 billion in federal funding over the coming ten-year period to increase the clearance rate of homicide cases and to provide funding for mental health and relocation services for shooting victims and families of homicide victims. In the Philadelphia area, supporters of the bill include Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), one of four Republican co-sponsors, as well as Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. In their discussion, Rep. Evans and Mr. Prince discuss the particulars of the bill, the idea of addressing crime being a bipartisan issue, possible objections to such an increase in federal funding, and how to address the issue of crime more broadly, both in Philadelphia and across the nation.

This interview appears in podcast form: