NCJ Number
188552
Date Published
2001
Length
29 pages
Annotation
In highlighting the experiences of Weed and Seed sites as they implement innovative multi-agency approaches to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization, this report profiles the successes of four geographically diverse sites and the ways in which elements of the Weed-and-Seed strategy have been uniquely implemented at each site.
Abstract
The Detroit, Michigan, Weed and Seed Program has successfully reduced gun violence through gun abatement programs and a large-scale public awareness strategy that involved educating the community on prevention measures to reduce gun violence. Since its inception, the Gun Violence Prevention Project has distributed over 1,500 trigger locks, sponsored a comprehensive public awareness campaign, hosted numerous gun violence prevention events, implemented a youth education program in target schools, and cooperated with the U.S. Attorney's office in helping produce significant prosecutorial achievements. In Aurora, Colorado, the Weed and Seed Program has implemented many initiatives to improve public safety and reduce crime, with a focus on the community's alleys and other secluded areas. Efforts have included a public awareness campaign to promote safety in the community, alley cleanups, paving initiatives, new city ordinances, new trash cans, and the distribution of crime prevention information. In New Britain, Connecticut, the Weed and Seed Program has succeeded in transforming a decaying section of the city into the Urban Oaks Organic Farm. The North/Oak Street neighborhood of New Britain was responsible for the majority of crimes in the city. At its center was an abandoned lot littered with garbage and debris. With the cooperation of the city, area businesses, Weed and Seed, two organic farmers, and the residents, the Urban Oaks Organic Farm was created on this lot. Weed and Seed has employed neighborhood youth at the farm, hosted classes for residents, and encouraged residents to participate in all stages of the farm's development. In Dyersburg, Tennessee, Weed and Seed has engaged all sectors of the community in a citywide community problem-solving partnership. Local resources and volunteers are involved in all aspects of problem-solving. Problem-solving efforts have yielded a Crime Stoppers network, a network of religious leaders who help identify problems and contribute to their solution, and a program of workshops and counseling for troubled marriages.