Operation Weed & Seed
Begun as a demonstration project in 16 cities (one of which was Denver) in 1992, Operation Weed & Seed is an instrumental part of the Department's community-based crime reduction and prevention strategy.
Operation Weed & Seed is a multi-agency strategy designed to "weed out" crime in distressed neighborhoods and then "seed' the targeted areas through social and economic revitalization efforts. There are four essential components of the Weed & Seed strategy: 1) traditional law enforcement activities directed against the neighborhood's most urgent crime problems; 2) community policing initiatives to serve as the bridge between weeding and seeding components; 3) implementing and/or enhancing prevention, intervention, and treatment programs through neighborhood-based "Safe Havens"; and 4) neighborhood restoration.
The Weed & Seed strategy stresses the importance of linking and integrating federal, state and local public safety, social service, and economic development initiatives with private sector and community efforts to maximize the impact of existing programs and resources. The strategy also recognizes the paramount importance of direct community involvement to assist in solving problems in their neighborhoods.
In Colorado Operation Weed & Seed is active in the area of Original Aurora. Thanks to the leadership in Aurora, especially at the Original Aurora Renewal agency, the city has experienced incredible revitalization. Weed & Seed has played an important role in addressing crime problems, and acting as a catalyst for revitalization. For more information about the Weed & Seed initiative, call (303) 454-0100.