Weed & Seed is a comprehensive strategy — not simply a program — to assist communities in bringing people and resources together to prevent and control crime and improve the overall quality of life. The Weed & Seed strategy stresses collaboration, coordination, and community participation.
This approach gives communities experiencing high crime and social and economic decay a comprehensive structure, critical planning tools, and access to a national network focused on crime prevention, citizen safety, and neighborhood revitalization. The initiative allows communities using the Weed & Seed strategy to develop and undertake efforts tailored uniquely to the issues, needs, and concerns of each neighborhood. Operation Weed & Seed began in three pilot sites in 1991; since that time, it has spread quickly to designated high crime areas throughout the nation. By early 2005, more than 300 communities had become Weed and Seed sites.
Weed and Seed is managed and administered at the national level through the Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO), a program office within Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. CCDO provides various services, technical assistance, training programs, and resources to support local Weed and Seed strategies.
The Weed & Seed strategy is based on a two pronged approach: Law enforcement agencies and criminal justice officials cooperate with local residents to “weed out” criminal activity in the designated area. Social service providers and economic revitalization efforts are introduced to “seed” the area, ensuring long term positive change and a higher quality of life for residents.
Please learn more about the Weed & Seed program by visiting the Fundamental Principles, Goals & Objectives, and Strategy pages on the Cleveland Central Weed & Seed website.
To discover even more about the Weed & Seed program, please visit the Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO) by clicking here.
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