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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 12:00 pm
Time: 12:00 pm
Results for weed and seed programs
1 results foundAuthor: Trudeau, James Title: Independent Evaluation of the National Weed and Seed Strategy: Final Report Summary: The Weed and Seed (W&S) strategy was launched more than 18 years ago by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as a community-based, comprehensive, multiagency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization in high-crime neighborhoods. Since its start in three demonstration sites, W&S initiatives have been established in hundreds of neighborhoods nationwide. In early 2010, 256 sites were active in 46 states and 2 territories. Beginning around 2007, W&S funding has been limited to 5 years for a given site, with a maximum of $1 million over that time. The W&S Program Guide and Application Kit describes the W&S strategy as “a two-pronged approach: law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperate in ‘weeding out’ violent crime and drug abuse; and ‘seeding’ brings human services to the area, encompassing prevention/intervention/treatment and neighborhood revitalization. A community-oriented policing component bridges the weeding and seeding strategies.” Four key principles underlie the W&S strategy: collaboration, including vertical partnerships (e.g., among law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels) and horizontal partnerships (e.g., among local police, prosecution, and probation and parole agencies); Coordination among government agencies, community organizations, and individuals to reduce overlap and duplication of services, better match services to community needs, and maximize benefits from existing services and programs; Resident participation, with the goal of engaging and empowering community residents to participate in the design and implementation of problem-solving efforts for their community; and Leveraging resources, including other funding or in-kind resources at federal, state, and local levels to support law enforcement, crime prevention, and neighborhood revitalization strategies in the target area. In addition, local W&S initiatives typically share the following features: management by a site coordinator; an operating structure including a large, representative steering committee and focused, working subcommittees; substantive involvement of the U.S. Attorney; active participation of neighborhood residents and organizations; and a central role of one or more Safe Havens (community recreation and resource centers). In 2007, DOJ funded an independent evaluation, conducted by RTI International, to assess the impact of W&S on crime and other target problems (e.g., blight) and to study local W&S implementation, including participation and leadership by residents and other community sectors, partnership functioning, collaboration, and strategies and activities. For all sites in the study (more than 200 sites for some study elements), the evaluation formulated a broad overview of W&S implementation and outcomes through analysis of data collected through a Web-based survey of W&S stakeholders such as agency representatives or involved residents (1,353 respondents in 166 sites) and crime data submitted by grantees (203 sites). In addition, in 13 randomly selected “sentinel sites,” the evaluation developed a more in-depth understanding through analysis of additional information derived from a survey of target and comparison area community residents (a total of 2,205 residents); site visits including interviews with key stakeholders; and review of documents (e.g., grant applications, strategic plans, progress reports). Results of the evaluation suggest that W&S grantees successfully implemented the strategy and achieved important objectives, including: reductions in crime; progress addressing other target area problems; and successful implementation of key components and elements of the W&S strategy. Length of W&S implementation was associated with improvement in resident perceptions of crime problems, suggesting that W&S contributed to the improvement. Improvements in some outcomes were also associated with certain aspects of local W&S implementation (e.g. intensive enforcement; effective collaboration) but associations were not consistent across outcomes or areas of implementation assessed. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Community Capacity Development Office, 2010. 141p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2010 at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo/pub/pdf/WnSFinalEvaluationReport.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo/pub/pdf/WnSFinalEvaluationReport.pdf Shelf Number: 120440 Keywords: Drug Law EnforcementPartnershipsViolence PreventionWeed and Seed Programs |