Weed and Seed programs were conceived as a way of reducing citizens’ fear of crime and returning control over high-crime neighborhoods to law-abiding citizens. Research on the effectiveness of Weed and Seed operations has called into question the efficacy of such programs in impacting long-term crime rates. The current study used a quasi-experimental design to assess the impact of the Weed and Seed program in a targeted neighborhood of Santa Anna, CA. Open-ended interviews were used to gather information about citizens’ perceptions of crime in their community both before and after the 1998 and 1999 “sweep” component of the program (555 interviews conducted) and following arrests in 2000 (320 interviews conducted) and “Seeding” in 2001 (363 interviews conducted). Participants were a stratified random sample of Santa Ana households living in the targeted neighborhood. Results of statistical analyses revealed the Weed and Seed operation in Santa Ana had somewhat of the opposite intended impact: citizens’ perceptions of crime in their neighborhood and fear of victimization actually increased following the Weed and Seed program. By calling attention to the crime problems of one neighborhood in Santa Ana, the program may have convinced residents that there neighborhood was more dangerous than they initially perceived. Future research should compare the effects of diverse intervention types on citizens’ fear of crime. Tables, notes, references