Printer-friendly Version

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 20, 2004

SCHUMER: JAMESTOWN WILL GET $225,000 TO "WEED" OUT CRIME AND "SEED" IN PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION

DOJ "Weed and Seed" program provides funds for local law enforcement to "weed out" criminals and communities to "seed in" prevention, intervention, and treatment services

City of Jamestown will use funds to pay for Community Policing initiatives

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Department of Justice's Weed and Seed Support Grant Program has awarded $225,000 to be used by the city of Jamestown to meet community policing goals by developing and improving police relationships with the community.

"These funds are going toward a program which systematically works to shut down criminals and gang members," said Schumer. "The great thing about this program is that it is more than just short term response; it also provides long term solutions by identifying criminals and keeping them out of the area, and bringing treatment and rehabilitation in to the area."

The Weed and Seed program works to prevent, reduce and control violent crime, drug abuse and gang activity in specifically targeted high-crime areas across the country. Its name comes from a two-part approach to these areas. One involves law enforcement agencies and prosecutors getting together to "weed out" individuals who participate in violent crime or drug abuse in an attempt to keep them out of the targeted area. The second part, "seeding," includes bringing social services to the area in order to push for prevention, intervention and treatment, as well as neighborhood restoration.

The city of Jamestown will use the $225,000 to reduce drug distribution and abuse by increasing supervision, arrests, and convictions. The city's weeding goals include improving relations between the police and the community by encouraging residents to participate in crime prevention, problem-solving, and neighborhood restoration. The city's seeding goals include mentoring and training youth and families to reduce drug abuse and domestic violence.

In the last 10 years, the Department of Justice has allocated at least $9 million annually nationwide for Weed and Seed related task forces administered through the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other DOJ agencies.

###