NCJ Number
144781
Date Published
1993
Length
38 pages
Annotation
Operation Weed and Seed represents a national effort between law enforcement, various government agencies, and community organizations to prevent drug-related crimes in several inner-city neighborhoods. The program strategy is based on suppression; community-oriented policing; prevention, intervention, and treatment; and neighborhood restoration.
Abstract
The Wilmington, Delaware, Weed and Seed program was developed based on 24 goals and objectives designed to combat drugs and crime in the Westside/West Center City area. A 6- month evaluation study, based on the number of drug-related arrests and calls made to the city police department, found that the program was having a positive impact on the target area in terms of reducing the number of reported drug-related incidents. The increase in the number of address-specific drug arrests made in the neighborhood after the Weed and Seed program was implemented suggests that police have become more effective in identifying and locating drug dealers. The data also show that, in general, open-air drug activity in the neighborhood has declined, although specific intersections continue to be a problem. 9 tables, 3 figures, and 5 maps