DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICIALS VISIT NEWPORT NEWS WEED AND SEED SITE

WASHINGTON – Dana J. Boente, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffrey L. Sedgwick, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP); and Dennis E. Greenhouse, Director of the OJP Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO), today toured the Newport News, Va. Southeast Community Weed and Seed site, and met with local officials.

The Southeast Community of Newport News was designated as a Weed and Seed site in June 2003, and has received nearly $775,000 from CCDO. In Fiscal Year 2008, Newport News received $149,967 to support its Weed and Seed strategy and efforts to reduce levels of violent crime in the neighborhood through community policing activities; prevention, intervention and treatment programs; and neighborhood restoration projects.

Weed and Seed, administered by CCDO, aims to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in designated high-crime neighborhoods across the country. Currently, there are more than 300 Weed and Seed sites ranging in size from several neighborhood blocks to several square miles, with populations ranging from 3,000 to 50,000. At each site, the relevant U.S. Attorney's Office plays a leadership role in organizing local officials, community representatives, and other key stakeholders to form a steering committee that implements a strategic plan in the targeted community. The U.S. Attorney's Office also facilitates coordination of federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts.

The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey L. Sedgwick, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). More information can be found at https://ojp.gov.

###

CCDO09010