DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF NEW WEED AND SEED SITES IN 22 COMMUNITIES

    WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced official recognition of new Weed and Seed sites in 22 communities. The designation is the first step in the Weed and Seed grant process and means that a fully-detailed community crime prevention and restoration strategy has been through an intensive review process. Official recognition status provides communities preference in receiving discretionary resources from participating federal agencies; priority for participating in federally-sponsored training and assistance; eligibility to apply for Weed and Seed funds; and use of the official Weed and Seed logo.

     "These communities have demonstrated their commitment and ability to prevent crime and restore community pride," said Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. "This is a truly collaborative effort among federal, state and local agencies, public and private, to make our communities safer, stronger and more viable."

     The Weed and Seed approach to weeding out violent crime and gang activity while seeding the community with social services and economic revitalization emphasizes four principles: aggressive law enforcement strategies; community policing; the provision of crime prevention, intervention, and treatment services; and neighborhood restoration and revitalization activities. The strategy must focus on a process that identifies selected issues, resources, community problems and needs, action steps with practical results and innovative approaches to problem solving.

     The Weed and Seed strategy, administered by OJP's Community Capacity Development Office, aims to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in targeted high-crime neighborhoods across the country. The U.S. Attorneys lead the Weed and Seed strategy in their respective communities by bringing together federal, state, and local crime-fighting agencies; social service providers; representatives of public and private sectors; business owners; and neighborhood residents.

     The communities receiving official recognition status are:

     The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP is headed by an Assistant Attorney General and comprises five component bureaus and two offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and Office for Victims of Crime, as well as the Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education and the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy and OJP's American Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Desk. More information can be found at https://ojp.gov.

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