Since being elected Attorney General on November 8th, Josh Shapiro has been traveling across Pennsylvania, holding community forums to hear citizens’ thoughts on a wide range of issues, from the heroin epidemic to gun violence to financial scams against seniors, among others. Attorney General-Elect Shapiro has been to Allentown and North Philadelphia, and will travel next to northeast and western Pennsylvania as part of his community-driven transition, setting the People’s Priorities.
Check out the coverage of Attorney General-elect Josh Shapiro’s community-focused tour of Pennsylvania:
Newsworks: Soon to be AG, Shapiro gets grass-roots perspective on Philly gun violence
As he prepares to be sworn in as Pennsylvania’s highest law enforcement officer next month, Shapiro, a Democrat, is touring cities from Allentown to Pittsburgh to collect feedback on major issues, such as the opioid epidemic. In Philadelphia, the conversation centered on gun violence. It’s a city where 1,206 people have been shot — but survived — and 258 have been killed so far this year.
Shapiro at one point asked about what is working in the restless campaign by local leaders to lessen gun violence and its broader effect on the community. “You’re going to have an attorney general in seven weeks that cares deeply about this and will provide resources,” Shapiro said. “What do you need from me?”
Erie Times-News: Our view: Report on scandal breaks no new ground
Beemer said he’s not inclined to investigate further, and incoming Attorney General Josh Shapiro indicated that he, too, is ready to move on. But how Shapiro and the attorney general’s office move on matters. Encouragingly, Shapiro seems to have a clear grasp of the damage and the resolve to change the culture of the office. Shapiro will “institute a new code of conduct and regular ethics training for all employees to prevent this behavior in the future,” his spokesman, Joe Grace, said.
Allentown Morning Call: Incoming Pa. AG calls fighting heroin ‘job No. 1’
Shapiro promised the group he’ll make fighting the heroin epidemic “job No. 1” when he takes office. He said he’s also planning forums on other topics important to the public, including consumer issues. Martin said he’s impressed with Shapiro’s determination to get up to speed on the issues he’ll oversee as attorney general. “Josh is a reformer, and these community forums show he’s not wasting any time,” Martin said.
Reading Eagle: Attorney General-elect Josh Shapiro holds forum on opioid crisis
Shapiro heard from more than a dozen professionals and others who have experienced the crisis in different ways. At the end of an hour, Shapiro said he was better informed. “I took some notes and have some ideas I am going to take back to my team,” Shapiro said. “Hearing it directly from you really helps me, going forward.” Shapiro said he already knew of trouble spots along Pennsylvania’s borders where heroin was entering the state. One, he said, was along the northeastern border with New York, where incoming heroin is a massive problem.