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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEEOWS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1999202/307-0703

VIDEO TELECONFERENCE PROMOTES SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY

SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE EFFORTS

Washington, D.C. - Profiles of communities that have worked together successfully to prevent, control and reduce violent crime, drug abuse and gang activity were highlighted today at a Justice Department-sponsored national satellite teleconference. The broadcast, "Sharing Success," was seen at many downlink sites across the country, with live audiences at several sites in Texas. The broadcast was sponsored by the Justice Department's Executive Office for Weed and Seed (EOWS).

"Working together, communities can succeed in improving the safety and the quality of life in their neighborhoods," said Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson. "I hope that this broadcast will help other communities profit from these successes and incorporate promising approaches into their local efforts."

On the teleconference panel were EOWS Director Stephen Rickman, U. S. Attorney Thomas P. Schneider, U. S. Attorney from the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Chief Louis F. Quijas, Chief of Police for the City of High Point, North Carolina and Willard Brown, Seattle, Washington Housing Authority. Their discussion centered on three successful Weed and Seed efforts, each of which focuses on different public safety and quality of life issues:

The Weed and Seed strategy consists of four elements: coordinated law enforcement to "weed" crime, drug, and gang activity; community policing, which serves as a bridge between the "weeding" and "seeding" efforts (crime prevention and neighborhood restoration); prevention, intervention and treatment to increase the availability and coordination of human services -- such as drug and crime prevention programs and youth and family services available to the community; and neighborhood restoration to revitalize distressed neighborhoods and improve the quality of life through economic development and improved housing conditions and other quality of life factors.

More information about the teleconference and other EOWS training, technical assistance, publications and funding opportunities are available through the EOWS Web site at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows. Information about other OJP bureaus and offices is available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

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For additional information contact Liz Pearson at 202/307-0703.