NCJ Number
205109
Journal
Weed & Seed In-Sites Volume: 9 Issue: 5 Dated: November/December 2001 Pages: 1-23
Editor(s)
Penne Soltysik
Date Published
2001
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This document presents information about Weed and Seed programs across the Nation.
Abstract
According to the Maine Uniform Crime Report, the violent crime rate among juveniles increased about 20 percent between 1988 and 1997. In an attempt to remove the number of illegal guns and target wanted felons on the streets of central Maine, a task force partnered with its local Weed and Seed site. Today, 100 fewer illegal handguns plague communities in central Maine. In Project Safe Neighborhoods: America's Network Against Gun Violence, resources will be allocated to support both State and local prosecutors and investigators and fuel ongoing networking projects at the State and local levels to remove illegal guns from the streets. At the John R. Grubb YMCA in Des Moines, IA, off-duty police officers' presence there and in the surrounding area makes the environment safer. To address problems identified in a central city Toledo, OH, neighborhood, ONYX (Organized Neighbors Yielding eXcellence) Weed and Seed takes a holistic approach to goal setting, resulting in a healthier neighborhood where greater opportunities will grow. Community events are the most popular way Weed and Seed sites have found to energize the residents of their target areas and breath new life into their Weed and Seed initiatives. In Pine Bluff, AR, site coordinators found that their community fair was exactly what they needed to spread the word. The various responses of Weed and Seed programs across the country to the events of September 11, 2001, are detailed and include coordinated charitable events, candlelight vigils, and prayer services.