U.S. Department of Justice Weed and Seed Grant
An eleventh Weed & Seed grant awarded by the US Department of Justice totaling $225,000 in funding for anti-crime programs was a very successful venture. The strategy recognizes the importance of linking and integrating federal, state, and local law enforcement and criminal justice efforts with federal, state, and local social services and private sector and community efforts to maximize the impact of existing programs. Weed & Seed also recognizes the paramount importance of community involvement.
Weed & Seed is comprised of four basic components:
- Law Enforcement
- Community Policing
- Prevention and Intervention
- Neighborhood Restoration.
Law Enforcement activities constitute the “weed” portion of the program.
Prevention, Intervention, and Neighborhood Restoration constitute the “seed” element.
Community Policing is the “bridge” that links the Weed & Seed elements.
Highlights and Successes of Weed & Seed X include:
- Continues to be a National Training Site for the Executive Office of Weed and Seed.
- MAD DADS chapter has been instrumental in establishing over 46 chapters throughout Florida.
- Continued to be featured in a national training video as a successful Weed and Seed site.
- 100% conviction rate for federal indictments.
- The Weed and Seed Community has been designated a Florida Front Porch Community.
- Residents of the Weed and Seed Area were selected along with residents of Denver, Colorado and Syracuse, New York to be interviewed for the Crime Prevention Council Public Service Announcement on gun violence, which aired nationally in 2003.
- A portion of the Weed and Seed Community was designated an Historic District by the federal government.
- The community is currently working on the development of a Small Business Incubator Program.
Evaluations
A 1999 evaluation by the North Central Florida Planning Council indicated that “Ocala Weed and Seed Initiative successfully implemented all components described in the grant application. The process of such a large and dynamic project could not have occurred without the successful communication of community leaders, affected agencies, and residents.” During the grant period the number of businesses in the target area increased 7.3%. The evaluation states that the Weed and Seed program provided the target area an opportunity to make an economic recovery that appears to be sustainable.
The "Weed" Component
The Weed Task Force, which is comprised of the Ocala Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office of the Fifth Judicial Circuit and the Florida Department of Corrections Parole and Probation Division, was originally formed in 1994 and continues to remain intact. This Task Force continues with their strategy to control and prevent crime, drug trafficking, drug-related crime, and violent crime in the Weed and Seed community.
The goals of the Weed Component are:
- To eliminate open-air drug markets, drug trafficking, crack houses and crimes related to drugs in the target neighborhood.
- Remove career criminals from the target neighborhood.
- Remove violent criminals from the target neighborhood.
In the last year, the Weed Component accomplished the following:
- 117 Felony Drug and/or Firearm arrests.
- 84 arrests were made for the sale of narcotics.
- 122 arrests were made for the possesion of narcotics
- 7 Federal Indictments with a 100% conviction rate.
- 27 weapons were seized
- 17 Search Warrants were served leading to arrest and displacement.
- Over 30 Special details for Patrol and Drug Task Force combined.
- There was over 2,000 additional directed patrolman hours in the Target community.
For more information contact Major Rodney Smith at 369-7100.
The "Seed" Components
The “seed” components of the grant include many programs geared towards building community services and programs and empowering residents. Many organizations and facilities that contribute to this effort.
During the last year the Seed Component accomplished the following:
- 177 people visited the Black Archives Program at the Safe Haven.
- The Math and Science Program provided assistance to 262 students.
- Over 3,500 people participated in the 3 day Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.
- Over 20,000 people attended the 3 day African American Arts Festival.
- 97 students participated in the CROP program at CFCC.
- 108 students participated in mentoring programs at Howard, Ft. King, North Marion and Osceola Middle Schools.
- 120 residents were assisted through the home ownership program.
- Provided small business support services/information to 80 individuals.
- 30 individuals were provided job training through the Dollar General Learning Center.
- 28 youth successfully completed the MAD DADS Alternative Sentencing program.
- 200 students participated in the PACC (Police and Children Connecting) Summer Program.