United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2010
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

U.S. ATTORNEY PRESENTS ARLINGTON, TEXAS, WITH OFFICIAL
WEED AND SEED DESIGNATION

ARLINGTON, Texas — At a press event this afternoon in Arlington, Texas, U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks presented Dr. Theron Bowman, Arlington Police Chief, with a plaque from the Department of Justice officially recognizing East Arlington as a designated Weed and Seed site. Other dignitaries in attendance at today’s event included Congressman Joe Barton, Sixth District of Texas and Dr. Robert Cluck, Mayor of Arlington.

U.S. Attorney Jacks said, “For fiscal year 2010, the Department of Justice selected just 15 communities, from among more than 100 that applied, for Weed and Seed status. I appreciate the volunteer spirit, community partnerships and organizational leadership that have come together in obtaining Weed and Seed status for this community. With this designation, the fine work that East Arlington REACH has begun, in promoting strong, crime-free neighborhoods, can continue and will become even stronger with Weed and Seed status.”

Weed and Seed is a Department of Justice initiative that implements the multi-agency strategy that “weeds out” violent crime, gang activity, drug use and drug trafficking in targeted high crime neighborhoods and “seeds” the target area by restoring these neighborhoods through social and economic revitalization. Weed and Seed was established in 1991 with three pilot sites; today there are more than 300 designated Weed and Seed sites in the U.S. The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Community Capacity Development Office oversees the Weed and Seed initiative.

Weed and Seed is a comprehensive response to crime and neighborhood deterioration. The strategy is a multi-level plan that includes four basic components: 1) law enforcement; 2) community policing; 3) prevention intervention and treatment; and 4) neighborhood restoration. Law enforcement and community policing represent the “weeding” aspect of the strategy, with community policing designed to improve the relationship and accountability between law enforcement and residents. The prevention, intervention, treatment and neighborhood restoration represent the “seeding” components.

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