Weed and Seed 

Executive Summary 

Concept 

Operation Weed and Seed (W&S), is a community based strategy sponsored by the U.S. Department 

of Justice (DOJ, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO), 

and the United States Attorneys' Office (USAO). W&S is a community-based strategy that 

encompasses an innovative and comprehensive multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime 

prevention, and community revitalization. Operation Weed and Seed is foremost a strategy aimed to 

prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in three high crime 

neighborhoods in the District. 

All Weed and Seed Strategies have four components:

• Law Enforcement: focuses on suppression, apprehension, prosecution and supervision in 

targeted communities. 

• Community Policing: fosters collaboration between law enforcement officers and 

residents to mobilize community support and involvement. 

• Prevention, Intervention and Treatment: focuses on comprehensive delivery of social and 

other supportive services (such as youth mentoring, truancy reduction, ex-offender 

reentry programming, and substance abuse counseling, etc to help prevent the 

reoccurrence of crime. 

Neighborhood Restoration: fosters improved quality of life in distressed, low-income 

areas through economic development, enhanced social services, public works, job 

opportunities, and better access to affordable housing. 

• Neighborhood Restoration: fosters improved quality of life in distressed, low-income 

areas through economic development, enhanced social services, public works, job 

opportunities and better access to affordable housing. 

 

Background 

At the request of the Office of Justice Programs/Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO), 

Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) has performed the role of fiscal agent for 

the Washington DC Weed and Seed Program since 2004. As fiscal agent and guided by an 

interagency agreement, CSOSA ensures fiscal accountability that funds are expended as approved by 

CCDO. 

Service Areas 

There are currently three officially recognized and funded Weed and Seed sites in the District 

of Columbia: 

 

(1) the Northwest Site, which overlaps Wards 1 and 4, and encompasses communities in the 3rd and 

4th Police Districts 

(2) the Frederick Douglass Memorial Site, which is located in Ward 8, and encompasses communities 

in the 7th Police District; and 

(3) the Far Northeast Corridor Site, which is located in Ward 7, and encompasses communities in the 

6th Police District. 

Partnership 

The Weed and Seed strategy draws on a broad range of support from various stakeholders in the 

public, private, and non-profit sectors. 

The invested Weed and Seed partners include: 

• The East of the River Community Police Partnership, 

• The United States Attorney’s Office, 

• The Columbia Heights Family Shaw Collaborative, 

• The Temple of Praise, 

• The District of Columbia Housing Authority, 
• The Metropolitan Police Department (grant fund recipient until May 2008),

• The Gang Intelligent Unit of The Metropolitan Police Department, 

• Superior Court Social Services, 

• Various safe havens(youth based initiatives), and 

• A host of other partners who have a vested interest in community building. 

New Initiatives 

Beginning in late 2009, CSOSA began providing direct programming for the following initiatives: 

Cognitive-Behavioral Restructuring Therapy ($123,000.00 pilot program)

This demonstration initiative, as administered by Community Supervision Services, will target high 

risk offenders (approximately 262) who are reentering the community after incarceration, or who are 

under community supervision, and reside in a Weed and Seed site. In addition to regular supervision 

monitoring, drug testing, and referrals for services, CSS will provide cognitive-behavioral 

restructuring therapy, family support groups, and aftercare groups for these offenders to support 

their successful reintegration in the community.

Drug Education for Youth ($30,000.00 annually)

The Drug Education for Youth (DEFY) initiative is a partnership effort with The US Attorney’s Office 

and the Washington DC National Guard. This youth based program (ages 9 thru 12) is designed to 

deter at-risk behaviors by providing the tools needed to resist drugs and gangs infused with skillbased activities which positively shape their future. 

Unlike most programs, DEFY combines elements from many different youth program’s, including 

physical fitness, educational trips and excursions, goal setting, conflict resolution, self-esteem and 

peer leadership development, decision-making, drug resistance and a formal graduation. 

Funding 

Since 2004 CSOSA has received a total of $3,098,039.00 for the following active and expired W&S 

sites: 

Site Status Grant Year Amount 

Marshall Heights Expired 2004 $225,000 

Columbia Heights Expired 2004 $225,000 

Congress Heights Expired 2004 $225,000 

 

Marshall Heights Expired 2005 $225,000 

Columbia Heights Expired 2005 $225,000 

Congress Heights Expired 2005 $225,000 

 

Northwest Expired 2006 $175,000 

Frederick Douglass Expired 2006 $175,000 

 

Northwest Active 2007 $175,000 

Frederick Douglass Active 2007 $175,000 

Far Northeast Active 2007 $175,000 

 

Northwest Active 2008 $147,968 

Frederick Douglass Active 2008 $149,647 

Far Northeast Active 2008 $149,585 

 

Northwest Active 2009 $141,839 

Frederick Douglass Active 2009 $142,000 

Far Northeast Active 2009 $142,000 

TOTAL 

 

$3,098.039 

Expired - $1,700,000.00 

Active - $1,398,039.00 
PROGRAM EVALUATION 

Each Weed and Seed Site is expected to conduct an evaluation to measure the success of its strategy 

and programs. 

All sites are encouraged to develop an arrangement with an academic or analytic partner to analyze 

their individual sites’ crime prevention needs. Each site is required to have in place a plan to 

measure the success of its strategy and programs. Each site agrees to cooperate with local or 

national evaluators under the auspices of The Department of Justice during the course of the grant 

period.