U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed

WEED & SEED IN-SITES

Volume VIII, Number I Millennium Issue 2000 Volume VIII, Number I Millennium Issue 2000
Weed & Seed In-Sites

2

Weed & Seed In-Sites 

is a publication of the 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

Phone: 202–616–1152 

Fax: 202–616–1159

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/

Stephen Rickman, Director 

Robert M. Samuels, Assistant Director

Nancy Ware, Director of Technical 

Assistance and Training

Cheryl Driscoll, Supervisory 

Program Manager

Edison Aponte, Faith Baker, Ila Blue,

Paul Casagrande, Eric Chin, 

Michael K. Connor, Sharron Fletcher,

Robert Hendricks, Stacy Larsen, 

Louise Lucas, Katherine Mera, 

Meredith Neilsen, Andrew Press,

Romia Ray, Christina Ruppert, 

Program Managers

Claude Thomas, Administrative Officer

Linda Hawkes,

Grant Administration Specialist

Penne Soltysik,

Project Specialist and In-Sites Editor

Lisa Huff-Galloway, Secretary

Jessica Caldwell, Charmaine Hughes,

Program Assistants

Please send all submissions, comments, or address

corrections to the above address.

From the Director

As perhaps the biggest worldwide celebration any of us

will see in our lifetimes, the arrival of the year 2000

provides a framework for reflecting on our past and

considering our future. Reflecting back to 1992, we

should all feel a sense of accomplishment and pride

inspired by the success of the Weed and Seed program.

Under the leadership and guidance of Assistant

Attorney General Laurie Robinson, Operation Weed

and Seed has spread across the country into more than

250 communities, including 220 Officially Recognized

sites and a growing number of expansion sites. 

We learned recently that Laurie will be leaving her post at the Office of Justice

Programs (OJP) after 6 1/2 years of service. Laurie’s tenure exceeds that of any

head of OJP throughout its 30-year history. So many of our sites have welcomed

Laurie to their communities and have shown her firsthand the challenges they

face and the accomplishments they celebrate. On behalf of the entire Weed and

Seed family, EOWS wishes Laurie and her family the very best.

As a tribute to the efforts of each Weed and Seed community and the bureaus

and program offices of OJP, EOWS offers this Millennium Issue of In-Sites.

Throughout the year, In-Sites promotes the achievements of individual Weed and

Seed sites. We consider this special edition an opportunity to look back at 1999,

highlight our achievements, and promote the success of special Weed and Seedsupported initiatives such as Kids House and Visual Voices and federally supported efforts such as Millennium Green, the Children’s Health Insurance Program,

and the Day of National Concern. Each of these efforts is coordinated to make

our communities and lives better today and in the future.

EOWS welcomes your feedback on this Millennium Issue and wishes each of you

a very prosperous 2000. 

Stephen Rickman

Director, EOWS

Photo of Stephen Rickman © 1999, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp.

“I’ve had the chance to do a great deal

of what I set out to accomplish—with the

wonderful backing of Janet Reno, the creative partnerships we’ve had with State

and local leaders, and the dedication of

OJP. I’m proud that OJP has grown so

tremendously during my tenure—not just

in budget and staff, but, most tellingly,

in stature and in the impact our work is

having in communities across this country.” 

—Laurie Robinson

Assistant Attorney General
Weed and Seed Best Practices

Fall 1999 Edition

The latest edition of Best Practices highlights effective initiatives in law enforcement,

neighborhood revitalization, community policing, and prevention through the arts

programs. To order a copy, call 1–800–421–6770 and request NCJ 179139.

Millennium Issue 2000

3

What’s Working ....................................................................................................................4

Philadelphia Community Service Project............................................................................4

“Two Sites, Two Cities, Two States . . . One Goal”............................................................5

Grand Rapids Combats Truancy ..........................................................................................5

DEFY ...................................................................................................................6

Drug Education for Youth: 1999 Recap ...............................................................................6

Kids House ..............................................................................................................................8

Urban Family Institute and Kids House..............................................................................8

Kids House: One Site’s Year in Review...............................................................................8

Visual Voices...........................................................................................................................9

Visual Voices: Uniting Youth ...............................................................................................9

Euclid Children Hand Over Gun...................................................................................10

NOWS......................................................................................................................................11

Northwest Austin’s Weed and Seed 

Gang Task Force Scores a Big Success .......................................................................12

Winners ..................................................................................................................................13

HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo Awards Honolulu Weed and Seed..............................13

San Antonio Resident Wray Hood Wins National Award ..............................................13

Initiatives ...............................................................................................................................14

Students Make a Pledge Against Gun Violence..............................................................14

CHIP Enrolls More Than 1 Million Children......................................................................15

The Millennium Green Project...........................................................................................15

Weed & Seed Photo Gallery ..........................................................................................16

The EOWS Community Training Broadcast Series................................................19

Conference Corner.............................................................................................................20

Web Sight..............................................................................................................................21

EOWS News..........................................................................................................................22

Mark Your Calendar..........................................................................................................23

Mailbox ..................................................................................................................................24

Now Available!
Weed & Seed In-Sites

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n May 22, 1999, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of

Pennsylvania Michael R. Stiles and his staff participated in a joint

community service project in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The

day’s activities were centered at a site where 20 homes had been

demolished as part of the Philadelphia Police Department’s

“Operation Sunrise.” The demolition had left a vacant lot in the North

Philadelphia Weed and Seed neighborhood, and it turned into a dumping

ground for trash and abandoned automobiles. The lot, located at the intersection of Mascher and Somerset Streets, lies in the midst of a neighborhood 

that has long been plagued by trash dumping, violent crime, and heavy drug

trafficking.

Project participants included 30 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff from

the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, members of

the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, staff from the city of Philadelphia

Managing Director’s Office, representatives from Safe and Sound (Robert Wood

Johnson Foundation), AmeriCorps and United Neighbors Against Drugs volunteers, college students from several universities, staff from the Lighthouse

Community Center, members of the Philadelphia Police Department, and 

neighborhood residents.

On that clear Saturday the volunteers planted trees, shrubs,

and flowers and built garden boxes, a playhouse, a

slide, and benches. Seven truckloads of mulch and

10 truckloads of wood chips were used. By the

end of the day children were playing in the

new sandbox and playhouse while their parents were planting seeds in their garden

boxes. Neighborhood residents, excited

and overjoyed by the restoration project,

will work together to maintain this area 

and keep the neighborhood clean, safe, 

and beautiful.

The volunteers all left with uplifted spirits for having

helped renovate a section of their neighborhood. This is the second project 

that Stiles and his staff have undertaken (their first effort was profiled in the

December 1998/January 1999 issue of In-Sites). 

Philadelphia Community Service Project

William R. Hausman

Forfeiture Program Manager 

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

From left: Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Winters,

Philadelphia Police Sgt. Tom Gleason, and U.S.

Attorney Michael Stiles lend a helping hand to

the restoration project.

Megan Rice (right) uses some muscle to help out

at the Philadelphia Community Service Project.
Millennium Issue 2000

5

eed and Seed sites come in all sizes and 

configurations to best implement the Weed

and Seed strategy in each location. The

Texarkana Weed and Seed sites are a good

example of the flexibility and success of the

Weed and Seed program.

Sometimes it is hard to explain Texarkana to visitors.

Texarkana, located on the border of Texas and Arkansas,

comprises two cities with the same name. The State line

that runs through the center of downtown Texarkana connects the cities. The two cities are routinely referred to as

the State Line Cities because the main thoroughfare, State

Line Avenue, is the Arkansas-Texas border.

The Texarkana Federal Building sits in the middle of a city

street, with half of its courtrooms and offices in Arkansas

and the other half in Texas. The Texarkana Post Office is

one of the most unique in America because it straddles

State Line Avenue, placing it in both Texas and Arkansas.

A display, constructed especially for visitors who delight

in capturing a unique photo opportunity of standing in

two States at once, is located in front of the post office that

serves both cities.

The motto “Twice As Nice” appropriately conveys the 

political structure of the cities of Texarkana. There are two of

almost everything: two city mayors, two city governments, two

police departments, and two fire departments. Naturally,

“Two Sites, Two Cities,

Two States . . . One Goal”

Donna Copeland

Law Enforcement Coordinator

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas

when Texarkana coordinated a Weed and Seed strategy, two separate Texarkana applications were submitted. 

“At first, we [EOWS] tried to work with both sides to coordinate one application, for the two applying agents to work

together under one strategy. It soon became very clear that

each side of Texarkana was dealing with a completely different set of circumstances, and the proposed strategy

emphases for both were entirely different,” explained

EOWS Program Manager Robert Hendricks. 

The Arkansas Weed and Seed adopted the working

acronym T–BON, which stands for Taking Back Our

Neighborhood, whereas the Texas Weed and Seed’s motto

is “Putting the Neighbor Back in Neighborhood.”

Together, both sites publish a joint newsletter; they also

attend each other’s Steering Committee meetings.

Both Texarkana, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas, were

awarded Official Recognition in 1999. Representatives of

the two Weed and Seed sites attended the Weed and Seed

1999 National Conference in Houston, Texas. Alexis

Owens, representing the Arkansas Weed and Seed’s Youth

Committee, participated as a speaker in the panel session

“Involving Youth in Weed and Seed.” Site representatives

displayed their ongoing spirit and partnership to help conference participants see and understand the unique nature

of the cities of Texarkana. Their group’s theme was “Two

Sites, Two Cities, Two States . . . One Goal.” 

Grand Rapids Combats Truancy

Bethanie Archibold

Grand Rapids Weed and Seed Coordinator

ruancy is a growing

problem for communities across the country.

The strategies to

address and prevent this

problem vary with each community.

The Westside Weed and Seed site

in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is taking a

collaborative approach. To address the

growing number of truant students

who are registered to attend Grand

Rapids public schools, community

members joined forces and created

the Truancy Coalition. Representatives

of the Grand Rapids Police

Department, the Kent County

Independence Agency, Community

Mental Health Agency, the 17th

Circuit Court Family Division, the Kent

Intermediate School District, Michigan

State University, and the Grand Rapids

public school system pooled their

resources to fight truancy.

This collaboration marks the first time

key agencies dealing with children

joined together for one cause in

Grand Rapids. During the first quarter

continued on page 12
Weed & Seed In-Sites

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he success of the DEFY program continues

to grow. The 1999 DEFY Camps served

approximately 200 more youth than the

1998 season. With 75 Weed and Seed sites

offering the DEFY program in their communities, more than 2,600 children were given the

opportunity to participate in this increasingly popular

mentoring program. 

The U.S. Navy and EOWS will host a DEFY Train-theTrainer Conference in Reno, Nevada, March 7–9, 2000.

This annual DEFY conference will provide new materials,

resources, and training to persons interested in coordinating local DEFY programs for the 2000 season. 

Details and registration materials are available at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows or by calling Louis Lucas, 

EOWS DEFY Coordinator, at 202–616–3454 (e-mail:

lucas@ojp.usdoj.gov).

Youth at the Oxnard DEFY camp gather for a group photo.

Members of the Melbourne

Police Department Dive

Recovery Team show DEFY

campers the basics of 

diving techniques.

Drug Education for Youth: 1999 Recap
Millennium Issue 2000

7

This photo was sent 

to In-Sites by the U.S.

Navy’s 1999 DEFY camp

in Sigonelle, Sicily, Italy.

COMMITMENT STEPS TO BECOMING A

YEAR 2000 DEFY SITE

1. Locate a military partner and designate a military 

point person.

2. Designate a DEFY coordinator and assistant coordinator.

3. Register the DEFY coordinators and the military point 

person for the March 7–9 DEFY Train-the-Trainer Conference 

workshop by February 21.

4. Execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to outline the roles and responsibilities of each 

of the supporting parties.

5. Coordinate funding with the administrative officer and budget officer in your agency.

Visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/defy.htm#Information for details on DEFY Commitment Steps and a 

sample MOU, or call Louis Lucas at 202–616–3454.
Weed & Seed In-Sites

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Urban Family Institute and Kids House 

n 1998, EOWS extended resources to the Urban Family Institute

(UFI) for a program called Kids House to assist Weed and Seed

communities in creating a safe, family-like environment for children during afterschool hours in which they can learn, create, and

grow under the supervision of nurturing adults. Run by volunteers, Kids Houses operate in homes, churches, schools, and public housing

developments.

Founded more than 7 years ago by Kent Amos of Washington, D.C., UFI works

with Weed and Seed site coordinators to prepare adult volunteers from the community for their Kids House experience. UFI provides the technical expertise

and training to site staff and volunteers, who then go on to manage “house operations.” Each Weed and Seed site coordinator is responsible for monitoring the

activities of Kids House staff and volunteers. After training, the daily responsibility shifts to the volunteers and the “house” operates within the Weed and Seed

site independent of UFI.

The first two Weed and Seed sites to coordinate a Kids House were the

Northwest Austin (Chicago, Illinois) Kids House, serving 15 children in a church

basement, and Carver Terrace (Washington, D.C.) Kids House, serving 70 children in subsidized housing. Both opened in 1998. In 1999, EOWS awarded UFI

a second year of funding to expand to six additional Weed and Seed sites. A Kids

House opening celebration in Wichita, Kansas, in January kicked off the 1999

Kids House efforts. The New Orleans Kids House, which opened in 1999, recently expanded its facilities to accommodate 60 children. And expanding their original Kids House program (started in 1999), Lakeland, Florida, staff recently

coordinated three new satellite sites.

The Fifth Annual Kids House Conference in Orlando, Florida, in November

1999 wrapped up the year’s efforts. Attendees participated in challenging discussions, informative workshops, and networking activities. For more information

on Kids House, call Meredith Neilsen at EOWS, 202–616–1152. 

Artwork from an inspired youth in the Visual

Voices Project at Carver Terrace Kids House 

in Washington, D.C.

Kids House: One Site’s Year in Review

Carrie L. Jones

Wichita/Sedgwick County Weed and Seed Coordinator

he Wichita/Sedgwick

County, Kansas, Weed

and Seed places special emphasis on

involving the community’s children in its efforts. As a

result, in 1999 the Wichita Metropolitan Family Preservation Agency,

Inc., administrator of the Weed and

Seed project, joined the nationwide

Kids House program, coordinated by

the Urban Family Institute.

In the past year, the Wichita/Sedgwick County Kids House participants

have been involved in many community events. First, Weed and Seed site

staff organized an “Open House” to

introduce the Kids House program

and its services to the community.

Staff also coordinated an effort to

recruit more than 40 children and 14

community volunteers, including local

Wichita police officers, for the program.

In October 1998, children participated

in the local Harvest Fest and were

continued on page 18
9

Visual Voices: Uniting Youth

n EOWS-supported project receiving much

acclaim in 1999 is the Visual Voices Project,

created and coordinated by Michael Yonas,

the Kids House project’s original Director.

An 86-foot section of the Visual Voices

Project was displayed at the Weed and Seed 1999 National

Conference in Houston, Texas.

Visual Voices is an educational and artistic experience

designed to bring children of all ages and backgrounds

together. Positioned on the floor with large squares of

brown paper and numerous cans of paint, youth are

given paintbrushes and encouraged to express

themselves. Yonas asks the children to

paint scenes of their homes, schools,

community centers, families, or any

other aspect of their lives. During

interactive painting and writing

sessions with children from a

community, Yonas places

great emphasis on cultivating

the uninhibited creative

energy within each child

rather than directly teaching

drawing skills.

In addition to the painting

activity, children participate in

a writing experiment in which

they are asked to write about their

favorite places, favorite people, and

visions of the future. These writings are

composed on

plexiglass that is hung

in front of the paintings to provide a layered effect. Not surprisingly, many children express

in their writings that their favorite person is “Mr. Yonas.”

“There is a tremendous amount

of media attention directed

toward youth violence, gang

activity, and the prevalence of

illegal drug use in the Nation’s

inner-city communities.

Despite this attention, the true,

honest, and uninhibited views

of children living with these

communities often go unnoticed—leaving many positive

messages unheard,” Yonas said.

When asked to share the most

common themes in the children’s work, he answers, “It

depends more on the

age group, but

overall the themes are very positive—

bright suns, beautiful rainbows, butterflies, families standing together

. . . and little boys like sports a

lot. What is most interesting [is

what they have in common:]

these kids are just incredibly

resilient.” 

In its entirety, the Visual

Voices Project is more than

1,000 feet long and has

involved more than 550 children. The project continues

to grow and schedule exhibits

across the country. In the year

2000, Visual Voices will continue

to collect paintings and writings

from children in various cities, including Weed and Seed sites. Yonas plans to add

another “layer” to the project by incorporating

audio recordings of children expressing themselves vocally

as they create their writing and painting pieces. When on

display, sensors will trigger the audio portion of the Visual

Voices exhibit as viewers walk by.

The Visual Voices Project is designed to become a nationwide effort that will bring together the expressions of children of various ethnicities and cultures and grow to embrace

and exhibit the energy of today’s youth. For more information on this project and how to become involved, send an

e-mail message to Michael Yonas at myonas1@aol. com. 

Above and upper right: youth at the Syracuse, New York, Kids House participate in Visual Voices.

Center: Visual Voices founder Michael Yonas encourages youth as they paint.

Millennium Issue 2000
Weed & Seed In-Sites

10

Reprinted, by permission, from 

News Herald.

Euclid Children Hand Over Gun

Ruby Lee Gamble

News Herald Staff Writer

police,” Andrea said. “I

believed him immediately because I knew he

wouldn’t play about something like that.”

Jarrell said he told the

other children not to touch

the gun, because that is

what he was taught in his

Eddie Eagle training at

school.

“The officers taught us if

we see a gun we are to

stop, don’t touch, leave

the area, and tell the

cops,” Jarrell said.

Chayneil, William and

Jarrell all had taken the

Eddie Eagle class at their

elementary school. The

course is taught by a

community policing officer

who trains the students in

gun safety.

Jevon said he was scared

when the other child

picked it up because he

thought he would fire it.

“I told him he should leave

it alone and we all ran to

the baby-sitter,” Jevon

said.

The children were honored for their heroism

Monday afternoon at the

mini-station. All of the

young people, including

the baby-sitter, received

certificates of honor as well

as ice cream sundaes.

Charles G. Eduardos, community policing specialist,

said what made these

children so special was

the grave danger they all

faced at the moment they

found the gun.

“That gun was loaded,”

Eduardos said.“That situation could have been a lot

worse, but because of the

quick thinking of those children, things worked out.”

Eduardos said police are

continuing their investigation to determine where

the gun came from and

how it got in the bushes.

“I am proud of the children,” said Karen Minor,

mother of Jarrell. “They

reacted so quickly which

was the right thing to do.

They didn’t wait around.

They have been taught if

there is a gun problem to

call 911. I have tried to

teach them right from

wrong so they will know

what to do in a crisis.”

Marqueda Worthington,

mother of Tyeje and

Jevon, said when she first

heard the news about the

gun, the thought of what

could have happened

scared her.

“I was frightened by the

thought that a gun could

be laying around in the

area where they play

every day,” Worthington

said. “The thought that

they can come across

something like that—I am

just proud that they knew

what to do.”

Mayor Paul F. Oyaski said

the children’s actions are

an example of the fine

work the Weed and Seed

Program is accomplishing

in Euclid.

WILLOUGHBY, OH, July

13, 1999.—A gun in the

hand of any child is a

tragedy waiting to happen, but six Euclid youths

showed that some kids

are responsible enough to

make the right decision.

Tyeje Worthington, 7;

Jevon Worthington, 12;

Chayneil Brandon, 9;

William Brandon, Jr., 8;

and Jarrell Minor, 7, all

were playing last Wednesday near their home,

in the southeast quadrant of Euclid, by the

Community Policing MiniStation, when they spotted a gun in the bushes.

Jarrell said that is when

he remembered what he

was taught in school

about guns and took

action.

“I ran in the house and

had someone call the

police,” Jarrell said.

The youngsters reported

the weapon to their 

13-year-old baby-sitter,

Andrea Mann, who said

she immediately called the

police. By the time the

police had arrived, another unidentified young person had placed the gun in

the trash.

“As soon as Jarrell told

me that there was a gun

outside, I called the

Euclid police officer Anthony Medved stands with the Euclid

youth who turned over a gun they found while playing. From

left: Andrea Mann, Jevon Worthington, Tyeje Worthington,

Chayneil Brandon, William Brandon, Jr., and Jarrell Minor.
Millennium Issue 2000

11

Coordinator, Los Angeles, California;

Sean Cruz, Victory Outreach

International Church, and President

and CEO, National Association of

Safe and Drug-free Workplaces,

Portland, Oregon; and Beverly

Watts-Davis, Executive Director, San

Antonio Fighting Back, San

Antonio, Texas.

The work of NOWS and its Board is

being supported by NCPC, a private,

nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent crime and build

safer, more caring communities. 

With the hard work of the NOWS

Board members and support from

NCPC, a vast array of services and

products have been made available

to Weed and Seed communities in

the 6 months that NOWS has been

in operation. To ensure sites have

up-to-date information, NOWS has

sent out a number of ALERTS—

briefings on issues of particular relevance to Weed and Seed sites. These

briefings are sent by e-mail or fax to

all site contacts (more than 1,200)

listed in the NOWS membership

database. NOWS sent a Congressional Briefing Kit to sites in early

May, providing information on how to

contact members of Congress and how

to involve them in Weed and Seed

work in local communities.

NOWS has also issued Program,

Practice, and Policy Briefs that focus

on creative approaches or critical

issues for Weed and Seed members.

The first four Briefs were:

◆ “The Jason Network,” featuring

the Winston-Salem Police Department’s response to repeat juvenile offenders.

◆ “The Boston Gun Project,” focusing on the model and successes

of the Boston Gun Project, a collaborative effort between Harvard

University, the Boston Police

Department, the Bureau of

Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,

the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the

Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of

Investigation, and the Suffolk

District Attorney’s Office.

◆ “Partnership for a Safer Cleveland,” describing this independent nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing safety through

collaborative educational and

programmatic efforts.

◆ “Drug Courts,” describing the use

of drug courts as an alternative to

criminal courts to provide supervised treatment, drug testing, and

transition programs for drug

offenders.

NOWS took over the Weed and Seed

Best Practices publication for fall

1999, writing articles on community

policing efforts in San Jose, California;

law enforcement in Salt Lake City,

Utah; neighborhood revitalization

in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the

Prevention Through the Arts program in Syracuse, New York; and

examples of the benefits of networking across sites.

he National Crime

Prevention Council

(NCPC) and EOWS

have entered into a

partnership to form

the nonprofit National Organization

for Weed and Seed (NOWS). The

mission of NOWS is to strengthen

and support collaborative Weed and

Seed strategies through resource

development, networking, advocacy,

training, and technical assistance. In

early 1999, eight representatives from

Weed and Seed sites formed an advisory group to draft goals and objectives for the developing organization.

Many advisory group members had

been interested in and working

toward establishing a national organization for the past few years. They

understood the common need for a

forum through which sites could

connect with each other to share

experiences and resources and sustain the Weed and Seed movement

in the future.

The advisory group, which has become the NOWS Organizing Board,

consists of Chairperson Marisol

Lopez, Mayor’s Office, Rochester,

New York; Vice Chair Dick DeLaRosa,

Gang Policy Manager, San Jose, California; Vice Chair Franklin Simpson,

Weed and Seed Coordinator, Las

Vegas, Nevada; Secretary Roberto

Frietz, Weed and Seed Coordinator,

Phoenix, Arizona; Calvin Bird, CDC

Executive Director, Cape Girardeau,

Missouri; Gwen Bolden, Executive

Director, Gwen Bolden Youth

Foundation, and Safe Haven

N WS

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WEED & SEED

NOWS the time. This is the place. We are the ones.

continued on page 18
Weed & Seed In-Sites

12

Northwest Austin’s Weed and Seed

Gang Task Force Scores a Big Success

P.J. Brand

Supervisory Special Agent

FBI Joint Task Force on Gangs

uring the late evening hours of May 7, 1999,

the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Joint Task Force on Gangs (JTFG) and members of the Chicago Police Gang Investigation Section executed a search warrant on a

second-floor apartment and garage in the Austin District

of Chicago, Illinois. This cooperative law enforcement

action resulted in confiscation of 41 kilograms of cocaine,

with a street value in excess of $4 million, along with

approximately $440,000 in cash. Also recovered were two

handguns—a semiautomatic Intratec 9 mm Luger and a

Ruger .44 magnum revolver. Arrested and charged with

numerous Federal drug violations were three residents of

the Austin District, ranging in age from 25 to 42. All were

suspected street gang members.

This was not the first successful investigation conducted by

JTFG in Austin. JTFG also conducted the 1995–1999

“FlySwat” investigation of the Traveling Vice Lords and

their ties to seven corrupt police officers, which had a

great impact on the Austin community. The Task Force

was the recipient of the local Ida B. Wells’ Weed and Seed

Asset Forfeiture Funds, which resulted in the 1994–1997

“WellCap” investigation of Lawrence McCarroll, leader of

the Gangster Disciple gang in control of heroin distribution at the Wells housing complex; eight members of his

organization were federally convicted of conspiracy and

drug-related charges, and McCarroll was sentenced to 33

years in Federal custody.

Chicago’s Austin District Weed and Seed is a sponsor 

of the FBI’s JTFG, comprising gang specialists from 

the Chicago Police Gang Unit, police officers from the

Chicago Housing Authority Police Department, and FBI

agents. 

Grand Rapids Combats Truancy

continued from page 5

of 1999, Coalition members met to

discuss their concerns and make suggestions for addressing truancy in

Grand Rapids. The Coalition aimed

to identify children with chronic

attendance problems, the needs of

truant children’s families, and possible remedies for each case.

Although State law calls for the prosecution of parents failing to regularly

send their children to school (under

State compulsory attendance law),

the Truancy Coalition aims to partner with parents to fight truancy.

The Coalition hopes to work with

each parent to realize the needs of

each child and, working together,

resolve the cause of the truancy.

On September 20, 1999, just 7

months after the formation of the

Truancy Coalition, the Grand Rapids

Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the Coalition’s proposal for a pilot program in the

Weed and Seed target area. School

officials, parents, and the Coalition

will work together to implement the

process in the three elementary

schools in the target area. In-Sites will

report on their efforts throughout

the year 2000. 

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT 1999

Congratulations Houston/

Harris County, Texas!

Houston/Harris County was

selected as the top-ranked

Category 1 Area (population ≥

250,000) and received the

SC Johnson National Night Out

1999 Award.

The Houston/Harris County

National Night Out drew 

61,685 people, including more

than 100 attendees of the 

Weed and Seed 1999 National

Conference, Communities of 

the New Millennium.

For highlights of 1999’s grand

event, visit www.natw.org.

Planning for National Night Out

2000 on August 1 is under way!
Millennium Issue 2000

13

HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo Awards

Honolulu Weed and Seed

ndrew Cuomo, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development

(HUD), presented the

Weed and Seed initiative in Honolulu, Hawaii, with 1 of 100 “Best of

the Best” Best Practices Awards at a

special ceremony on July 24, 1999,

in Kansas City, Missouri. Honolulu’s

Weed and Seed initiative, recognized

for its outstanding and innovative

uses of community resources, was

selected from more than 3,000 Best

Practices submissions from across

the country. U.S. Attorney for the

District of Hawaii Steven Alm accepted the award on behalf of the community. Present were Weed and Seed

partners from the police department,

city management, and the target

community. “The Best Practices

Awards are HUD’s equivalent to the

Academy Awards, given for an outstanding performance in service to

American people,” said Cuomo.

A HUD Best Practice is defined as a

program or project, management

HUD Deputy Secretary Saul Ramirez (far

left) presents Best Practice Award to U.S.

Attorney Steven Alm, Honolulu Police

Department Sgt. John Kauwenaole, Weed

and Seed Coordinator Maile Kanemaru,

and City and County of Honolulu’s

Managing Director Benjamin Lee.

tool, or technique that generates a

significant positive impact on those

it is intended to serve; can be replicated in other areas of the country,

region, or local jurisdiction; demonstrates the effective use of partnerships among government agencies,

nonprofit organizations, or private

businesses; and displays creativity in

addressing a problem and demonstrates effective leveraging of

resources.

The Weed and Seed initiative focuses on providing a safer environment

for residents and businesses in the

Kalihi-Palama/Chinatown area of

Honolulu and has been successful

in reducing crime by more than

50 percent in one of Honolulu’s

highest crime areas. Weed and Seed

partners include HUD’s Honolulu

field office, the local U.S. Attorney’s

Office, the Housing and Community

Development Corporation of Hawaii,

the city and county of Honolulu,

Aloha United Way, and the Honolulu Police Department. Honolulu

was awarded Weed and Seed

Official Recognition in 1998. Visit 

www.HUD.gov/bpawards/index.html

for more information on HUD’s

Best Practices Awards and a listing

of 1999’s Best Practices winners. 

San Antonio Resident Wray Hood Wins

National Award

Norma Rabago

Director of Communications

San Antonio Fighting Back of United Way

t may not have been the Publishers Clearing

House van that pulled up to Wray Hood’s

door, but it was just as exciting. Neighbors

and friends gathered on the front lawn of

Hood’s home to officially notify her that she

was the recipient of a reputable national award. continued on page 17

“We are just so proud of Wray Hood and the Coliseum/

Willow Park Neighborhood Association for their successful

crime prevention efforts,” said Willie Mitchell, San Antonio

Fighting Back (SAFB) Board Chairperson. “Wray Hood is

truly a crime prevention hero.”
Weed & Seed In-Sites

14

Students Make a Pledge Against Gun

Violence

tudents in a growing

number of school districts today enter

school through metal

detectors, are banned

from carrying book bags, and are

monitored by sophisticated video systems. Many schools are doing away

with lockers altogether. In Houston,

Texas, an elementary school now

requires visitors to use a doorbell to

enter the school.

Sadly enough, we closed this century

with gun wounds being the second

most common cause of death among

10- to 24-year-olds and 13 percent

of our Nation’s students saying they

know a student who has brought a

gun to school. Despite heightened

public attention following a surge in

gun violence in America’s schools,

overall school crime rates are declining, according to the 1999 Annual

Report on School Safety prepared 

jointly by the U.S. Departments of

Education (ED) and Justice. The

number of firearms found in U.S.

schools dropped by 30 percent in

1997–1998 compared with the previous school year, according to a

recent ED report.

“I am pleased that crime has gone

down in schools across the country

and that students continue to be

safer in school than out of school,”

U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno

said. “We need to continue these

efforts which have contributed to

this decline and take further steps to

address those areas where improvement is necessary. There is nothing

more important than making sure

“I will never bring a gun to school;

I will never use a gun to settle a dispute;

I will use my influence with my friends to keep them 

from using guns to settle disputes.

“My individual choices and actions, 

when multiplied by those of young people 

throughout the country, 

will make a difference. 

Together, by honoring this pledge,

we can reverse the violence and grow up in safety.”

that our schools provide our 

young people with safe learning 

environments.”

While school districts across the

country and Federal and State agencies study the causes of violence in

schools, students themselves are

making strides in increasing participation in their own resolution. The

fourth annual Day of National

Concern about Young People and

Gun Violence, held October 21,

1999, brought heightened awareness

to the cause of securing safety in

America’s schools. Thousands of

school districts nationwide participated in this prevention effort by dedicating the day to activities focused on

the community. 

In 1998, the effort was celebrated by

1 million students signing the

“Student’s Pledge Against Violence”

(above). While the number of school

slayings decreased in 1999 (24 total

in 1999, down from 40 in 1998), the

number of student pledges almost

doubled. Close to 2 million students

signed the pledge in 1999 (compared to 1 million in 1998) and

many schools extended the 

awareness-building tradition from 

1 day to several weeks. 

The first Day of National Concern

was in 1996, established by a

Presidential Proclamation urging all

Americans to commit themselves to

helping the Nation’s youth avoid violence. Each year increasingly more

students make a strong collective

statement renouncing the violent use

of guns by signing the pledge. The

Day of National Concern initiative is

certain to maintain its momentum.

For more details about 1999 activities

and information on how to participate in the year 2000 effort, visit

www.pledge.org or send an e-mail to

mlgrow@microassist.com.

The 1999 Annual Report on School

Safety is available by calling

1–877–4ED–PUBS. 
Millennium Issue 2000

15

organizations will embark on community and environmental improvement activities over the year 2000.

EOWS will provide information

about activities that Weed and Seed

neighborhood residents can participate in to improve the quality of life

in their communities, including

planting gardens where vacant,

debris-ridden, and dangerous lots

now stand. One activity, coordinated

by the nonprofit America the

Beautiful Fund, will provide flower

and vegetable seeds to plant 2,000

Millennium Gardens at schools,

community gardens, parks, and

libraries and along roadsides, riverbanks, and main streets in all 50

States.

Goals of Millennium

Green

In 2000–2001, Millennium Green

will strive to:

◆ Plant or adopt one tree for each

person in the United States.

◆ Establish 2,000 Millennium

Gardens across the country.

◆ Encourage corporate America to

plant, adopt, and/or protect one

tree or community garden for

each employee and client during

2000–2001.

◆ Encourage corporate America to

work with national, State, and

local tree planting, garden, and

conservation groups.

Free seeds are available to make the

millennium green through the

America the Beautiful Fund. During

the millennium year (January 1 to

December 31, 2000), the White

House will lead a national millennium program with the theme “Honor

the Past—Imagine the Future” that

will engage Americans in a wide variety of activities and initiatives

designed to highlight our heritage,

celebrate our creativity, and shape

our future. For more information

and to order seeds for your community, contact America the Beautiful

Fund at 202–638–1649. 

eed and Seed cannot

take credit for dreaming up the name

“Millennium Green.”

However, EOWS is

joining numerous Federal offices

and agencies to participate in the

Millennium Green project, a national, interagency initiative of the White

House Millennium Council to encourage the creation of healthier,

more livable community environments for the year 2000 and beyond.

Millennium Green is a national project of the White House Millennium

Council, led by the U.S. Department

of Agriculture in partnership with

the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, the U.S. Department of

Energy, and the U.S. Department of

Justice. Millennium Green will highlight the many worthy environmental

endeavors already in operation and

foster the creation of many new

efforts across the country to preserve

our Nation’s treasures.

For the Millennium Green project,

a coalition of citizens, businesses,

and nonprofit and government

The Millennium Green Project

CHIP Enrolls More Than 1 Million Children

he U.S. Department of Justice, in cooperation with other Federal agencies and nonprofit groups, has made a commitment to

provide health insurance to as many eligible

children as possible. Recent efforts supported by the Federal Government such as 5 Goals for Kids

and the Back to School Campaign are broader initiatives

stemming from the Children’s Health Insurance Program

(CHIP) law passed by Congress in 1997. Surveys reveal that

since 1998 close to 1 million children have acquired health

insurance through CHIP in 43 States and U.S. territories.

However, much work remains to be done in 2000. In an

October 1999 address, President Clinton announced that

more than 10 million children remained uninsured nationwide. Today many families are not aware that their children qualify for free or low-cost health insurance.

continued on page 19
Weed & Seed In-Sites

16

For the Millennium Issue of In-Sites, EOWS sorted

through hundreds of photographs submitted by Weed

and Seed sites in 1999 and selected unpublished photos

that portray the spirit of Weed and Seed. They are the

images from our community. Whether the photos capture

the concentration on the face of a young man serving in

the color guard at a Mobile Community Outreach Police

Station (MCOPS) ceremony in Washington, D.C., or a

woman jumping up in excitement at a rally in Arkansas,

they are images portraying the diversity, spirit, strength,

and accomplishment that emanate from the Weed and

Seed community. We hope that you enjoy these photographs as much as we do and that you will send us new

photos in the coming year. 
Millennium Issue 2000

17

San Antonio Resident Wray Hood Wins National Award

continued from page 13

Hood was one of seven winners of the

National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)

Ameritech Awards of Excellence in Crime

Prevention. Winners were chosen from

more than 100 nominations submitted to

NCPC from across the country. Hood was

the only winner from Texas. SAFB Executive

Director Beverly Watts-Davis was notified 2

weeks prior to the official announcement

that Hood was a recipient of the award and

was asked to plan a surprise announcement that included family, friends, and 

colleagues.

SAFB nominated Hood for the successful

efforts of the Coliseum/Willow Park

Neighborhood Association under her leadership from 1993 to 1997. The Association

worked with city and State agencies to have

more than 50 abandoned duplexes torn

down and replaced with a new subdivision,

Coliseum Oaks. Hood now serves as the

community liaison for the Association. The

Coliseum/Willow Park neighborhood is part of the San

Antonio East Weed and Seed target area.

“Thank you so much, everyone. I just want to say that this

award means that we just have to roll up our sleeves and

work that much harder,” Hood said after Mitchell presented her with a bouquet of roses, two plaques, and a dozen

balloons.

Ameritech Awards guidelines require that winners be successful in at least four of the following crime prevention

areas: overcoming hardships or limitations to prevent

crime; creating a crime prevention policy or program that

has endured; developing a novel crime prevention policy,

program, or funding strategy; forging crime prevention

partnerships; spurring citizen action; demonstrating results

of crime prevention efforts; and influencing community,

State, or national policy.

“Ameritech is proud to honor these winners,” said William

Boag, Director of Corporate Contributions for Ameritech.

Wray Hood (center) accepts congratulations from friends and neighbors after learning

that she has won the Ameritech Award of Excellence, the National Crime Prevention

Council award.

“These seven individuals represent the best in our 

communities.” 

NCPC and Ameritech established the Ameritech Awards of

Excellence in Crime Prevention in 1997 to honor ordinary

individuals who have done extraordinary things to prevent

crime and build safer, more caring communities.

In a letter of endorsement sent to NCPC as part of Hood’s

nomination, District 2 Council Member Mario Salas wrote,

“I am not only proud of her accomplishments but more

importantly I am grateful for her efforts. It has been a

great honor to know Ms. Hood and to work with her as we

strive to maintain the peace and tranquility of our community.” An awards program to recognize the winners was

held November 4, 1999, at the National Press Club in

Washington, D.C.

For more information on the Ameritech Awards of

Excellence call 202–261–4165 or visit 

www.ncpc.org/power99/amtech.htm. 

The Ameritech Awards of Excellence and the Mac Gray Award will be presented during the 2000

National Conference on Preventing Crime, September 26–30, 2000, in Washington, D.C. Nominate a

crimefighter in your community! Deadline for nominations is March 31, 2000. Visit the NCPC Web site at

www.ncpc.org/power2000 for details.
Weed & Seed In-Sites

18

Kids House: One Site’s Year in Review

continued from page 8

treated to old-fashioned hayrides. The following month,

Kids House participants and their families helped prepare

a Thanksgiving feast for the community. These Kids House

efforts have served to reinforce the importance of family

while providing support for children who otherwise have

little support in their life.

In December 1998, a holiday party was organized and

enjoyed by Kids House participants. Children enjoyed

plenty of food and beverages donated by area restaurants.

Officers from the Wichita Police Department’s North

Station dressed up as Santa’s helpers to distribute wrapped

presents to each child. Gifts were provided through a

donation from the Boeing Company’s Wichita office.

Kids House kept its efforts and spirit going through 1999.

By summer the program assigned two youth workers as

assistants to the Kids House coordinator. Summer activities

included free swimming sessions through the City of

Wichita Parks and Recreation Department, free tennis lessons by the Centre Court Community Tennis Association,

Inc., a tour of artist/photographer Gordon Parks’ exhibit

at the Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art on the campus of

Wichita State University, and an exploration into the world

of science at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in

Hutchinson, Kansas.

The Kids House daily

schedule is designed to

cover a range of life skills

and educational activities,

including tutoring in subjects such as math,

English, and science.

Children are surrounded

by loving adults who

teach them respect for

themselves and others,

problemsolving and proper decisionmaking skills, table

manners, and how to control or handle their everyday

environment.

Since its inception, the Wichita/Sedgwick County Kids

House has affected the lives of more than 100 children

and families. Adults in the community have come to 

recognize the benefits of the program and rely on the 

services provided by Kids House. As the Kids House program enters its next year, Program Coordinator Sandra

Woodberry anticipates even higher numbers of volunteer participants. For more information about the

Wichita/Sedgwick County Kids House, please call

316–269–0488. 

A Seamless Web of Care

NOWS 

continued from page 11

Additional “hands-on” work NOWS has done with Weed

and Seed sites includes participating in the Northeast

Regional Weed and Seed Meetings, connecting Oklahoma

vicinity sites with a free Youth As Resources training opportunity, and conducting a pilot training of “Community

Wealth Enterprises” with 14 Weed and Seed sites in central

Florida, which developed ways to link citizens and/or corporations with the Weed and Seed mission. Early in the

year 2000, Weed and Seed sites will have the opportunity to

obtain training on the topic of teens, crime, and community works. This train-the-trainer workshop will be offered

free of charge to Weed and Seed site teams in five regions.

Thanks to the linkage between NOWS and NCPC, all

Weed and Seed sites have become members of the Crime

Prevention Coalition of America, a nonpartisan group of

more than 125 national, State, Federal, and communitybased organizations united to encourage individual citizens

and citizen groups to take action to prevent crime. It is

hoped that this membership will help Weed and Seed sites

strengthen the alliances and working relationships they

may have with their State-level crime-related associations

and will link sites more closely with national partners.

Who can join NOWS? Any and all Weed and Seed sites.

Simply call Marilyn Morey at the NOWS office, 202–

261–4174. Multiple representatives from a Weed and Seed

site may be listed in the NOWS database. Every person in

the database will receive information, ALERTS, articles,

and briefings distributed by NOWS. 

NCPC will manage NOWS at its headquarters:

National Crime Prevention Council

1700 K Street NW., Second Floor

Washington, DC 20006–3817 
Millennium Issue 2000

19

The EOWS Community Training

Broadcast Series: “Domestic Violence

and Sexual Abuse”

victims killed by intimate partners

has remained steady at about 30 

percent since 1976. 

As domestic violence awareness has

increased, it has become evident

that abuse can occur within a number of different types of relationships. Laws in many States cover 

incidents of violence occurring

between married couples, as well

as abuse of children and elders by

family members and abuse between

roommates, dating couples, and

those in lesbian and gay relationships. EOWS’s satellite broadcast

on Thursday, February 17, 2000,

explored these issues and their

impact on community health.

Special attention was given to what

communities can do to prevent

domestic violence. 

This broadcast is Part III of the EOWS

Community Training Broadcast

Series. On Thursday, April 20, 2000,

EOWS will broadcast Part IV, “Community Policing: Experts Speak Out.”

To order free tapes of Weed and Seed

satellite broadcasts, please contact

your EOWS Program Manager.

omestic violence is

a serious crime that

often results in severe

injury and even death.

In the United States

in 1996, women were the victims of

840,000 incidents of rape, robbery,

aggravated assault, and simple assault

at the hands of an intimate partner,

according to the Bureau of Justice

Statistics. The percentage of female

Satellite

Broadcast Series

The Children’s Health Insurance Program is the most significant improvement in access to health care for children

since the creation of Medicaid in 1965. CHIP is a StateFederal partnership program that gives States three options

for covering uninsured children: designing a new children’s health insurance program; expanding current

Medicaid programs; or a combination of both strategies.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

(HHS) has now approved CHIP plans for all 50 States, 5

U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. Additionally,

28 amendments to CHIP plans have been approved to

enroll even more children. It is estimated that more than

2.6 million children will be covered by September 2000. To

help State and local outreach efforts, President Clinton

and the National Governors’ Association recently launched

CHIP Enrolls More Than 1 Million Children

continued from page 15

the Insure Kids Now Hotline, 1–877–KIDS–NOW, and the

Insure Kids Now Web site, www.insurekidsnow.gov. 

The Insure Kids Now Hotline is a national toll-free number

that parents or other interested persons can call and be

automatically routed to the proper agency in their State

for information about free or low-cost health insurance for

their children.

The Insure Kids Now Web site offers information on children’s health insurance coverage in each State or territory,

information on how to apply for coverage, and guidelines

for determining whether families qualify for a free or lowcost plan. For a more detailed review of CHIP, see the

HHS Web site www.os.dhhs.gov/news/press/. 
Weed & Seed In-Sites

20

Weed and

Seed Regional

Meetings: 

Late 1999 to

March 2000

EOWS is holding a series 

of 12 regional meetings to

help sites develop FY 2000

budgets and begin or continue regional peer-to-peer

coordination. These meetings will

replace the grant application meetings sponsored regionally in the past

and are intended to help attendees

prepare their FY 2000 funding applications in accordance with U.S.

Department of Justice requirements

and discuss issues pertinent to their

CONFERENCE

CORNER

geographical area. The regional

meetings are designed to be small,

intimate gatherings for information

sharing and networking.

For each regional meeting EOWS

will handle all hotel logistics. Site

representatives are responsible for

payment of hotel and travel-related

expenses. The National Organization

for Weed and Seed (NOWS) will provide program support in planning

each meeting.

EOWS will provide support for one

regional meeting per year. If regions

wish to coordinate additional regional, State, or U.S. Attorney’s Office

(USAO) district meetings, they must

be funded by resources outside

EOWS.

The Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys’ Weed and Seed fund will cover

air travel and hotel room charges for

USAO staff and developing sites with

USAO support. Contact your USAO

representative for more information.

Meeting Program

Each regional meeting will cover

core topic areas, including grant

budget development and management, asset forfeiture funds budget

development and management, and

training and technical assistance.

Additional topics will be covered at

the request of each regional meeting

coordinator. Presenters experienced

in specific practices, such as coordinating with Federal agencies, or in

trends, such as community-oriented

lawyering, are available for regional

meetings on request. Questions

should be directed to the EOWS

Program Manager.

The first regional meeting for FY

2000 was held in Albany, New York,

October 19–21, 1999. The meeting

for the Northeastern Region 

(comprising Connecticut, Delaware,

Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey,

New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode

Island) began at 1 p.m. on Tuesday

Program Manager States Date Location

Sharron Fletcher Alabama, Georgia January 10–12, 2000 Savannah, Georgia

202–305–2358

Robert Hendricks Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas January 19–20, 2000 Houston, Texas

202–305–1909

Faith Baker Florida, U.S. Virgin Islands February 9–11, 2000 Tampa, Florida

202–305–2586

Stacy Larsen Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, February 16–18, 2000 Rapid City, South Dakota

202–616–3556 Montana, Nebraska, Oregon,

South Dakota, Washington

Romia Ray Maryland, North Carolina, February 16–18, 2000 Winston-Salem, North Carolina

202–307–6031 South Carolina, Virginia, 

Washington, D.C.

Eric Chin Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, February 22–24, 2000 Indianapolis, Indiana

202–305–2723 West Virginia

Sharron Fletcher Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee February 22–24, 2000 Chattanooga, Tennessee

202–305–2358

Ila Blue California, Hawaii February 23–24, 2000 San Diego, California

202–305–2713

Eric Chin Illinois, Michigan February 27–28, 2000 Detroit, Michigan

202–305–2723

Robert Hendricks Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, February 27–29, 2000 Albuquerque, New Mexico

202–305–1909 New Mexico, Utah

Ila Blue Minnesota, Wisconsin March 6–7, 2000 Minneapolis, Minnesota

202–305–2713

continued on page 21
also works to reduce local costs of hiring and training

new officers. The Police Corps Web pages, located

at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/opclee, provide information

on funding provisions and eligibility requirements.

OPCLEE also provides scholarship funds to dependent

children of law enforcement officers killed in the line

of duty. For OPCLEE application information, visit

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/opclee/applicationkits.htm.

Community-oriented policing, a fundamental part of the

Weed and Seed strategy, is a valuable resource for many

communities. Sites will want to visit the Web page for the

U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community

Oriented Policing Services at www.usdoj.gov/cops. The site

features news and press releases, information about current funding opportunities, a

grantee list, and career

opportunities.

In November 1999,

CrimeStat was released and

made available for free

through the National

Institute of Justice’s Crime Mapping Research Center.

This computer software provides statistical tools to 

aid law enforcement agencies and criminal justice

researchers in their crime mapping efforts. Visit

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/cmrc/whatsnew/welcome.html to

download a free copy. While there, check out The Beat

Book, mapping software designed for officers to use on

laptops in their cars or at substations.

Millennium Issue 2000

21

JUST

ANNOUNCED

Mark your calendar! The

EOWS Law Enforcement and

Prosecutors Conference will be

held in New Orleans, Louisiana,

May 30–June 2, 2000.

Information will be posted at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/EOWS

as it becomes available.

and commenced at 12:30 p.m. on

Thursday to provide 2 full days for

meetings yet accommodate morning

and afternoon travel (eliminating

extra nights’ lodging expenses).

Coordinators of upcoming regional

meetings may want to make similar

schedule arrangements. Regional

coordination for the Northeastern

meeting was provided primarily by

Peter Laun of the U.S. Attorney’s

Office for the Northern District of

New York and Nancy Kronen of

Syracuse Weed and Seed, both of

whom can be reached for guidance

at 315–448–0672. Please direct general questions regarding the regional

meetings to Bob Samuels at

202–307–1357. 

Weed and Seed Regional Meetings: Late 1999 to

March 2000

continued from page 20

n recent months the U.S. Department of

Justice has updated and redesigned its Web

site to offer a more user-friendly gateway to

the resources available from the Office of

Justice Programs (OJP). EOWS recently surveyed Weed and Seed site coordinators to discover how

they use the Internet and what resources they search for.

Many coordinators stated they wanted more information

on funding opportunities; below are a few Web sites that

may be of interest.

The Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement

Education (OPCLEE) is an OJP program office

designed to increase the number of community police

officers with advanced education and training. OPCLEE

sight
EOWS NEWS

Weed & Seed

Weed & Seed In-Sites

22

Congratulations

EOWS would like to congratulate all of the sites awarded

Official Recognition this year (see below). We welcome

new sites to the Weed and Seed family and look forward to

seeing your efforts culminate in a positive change for your

community. We also thank our veteran sites for their continued efforts to make Weed and Seed successful in their

communities and for mentoring developing sites. 

Farewell

The entire Weed and Seed community will surely miss

EOWS Program Manager Susan Tashiro. Susan worked

closely with sites in the Western United States for 2 1/2

years. In November 1999, Susan left EOWS for the Justice

Management Institute (JMI) in Washington, D.C. She will

relocate to Colorado, her home State, with JMI in early

spring 2000. EOWS wishes her much success in her new

position.

EOWS Welcomes the Following Sites Awarded Official

Recognition in 1999

Alabama

Montgomery

Selma

Alaska

Anchorage

Arizona

Flagstaff

Winslow

Arkansas

Texarkana

California

Compton

Oxnard (Second Site)

Connecticut

Stamford

Florida

Alachua County

Homestead

Orlando (Expansion Site)

Georgia

Albany

Cobb County

East Point

Macon

Illinois

Village of Washington Park

Louisiana

Algiers-Bywater

La Fourche Parish

Queensborough/Ingleside

Maryland

Salisbury

Massachusetts

Brockton

Minnesota

Frogtown

Mississippi

Tupelo

Missouri

Independence

New Jersey

Orange

New York

Jamestown

Poughkeepsie

North Carolina

High Point

Southeast Raleigh

Ohio

Cincinnati

Toledo-Lagrange

Youngstown

Pennsylvania

Homewood (Pittsburgh)

West Philadelphia

Rhode Island

Providence

South Dakota

Rapid City

Tennessee

Humbolt

Memphis

Texas

Aldine (Harris County)

Ferguson Road Initiative

Richmond

South Dallas

Texarkana

Virgin Islands

Estate Bovine

St. Croix

Wisconsin

Racine

The Weed and Seed Grant Application Kit is now available. 

Contact EOWS at 202–616–1159 to order a copy.
Millennium Issue 2000

23

CALENDAR

Mark Your

Congratulations to Weed and Seed Recipients of the 1999

Director’s Community Leadership Award

Awarded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice

Donald Dade, Executive Director

Coalition for the Redevelopment of Unified 

Community Involvement and Leadership, Inc.

(C.R.U.C.I.A.L.)

Buffalo Weed and Seed

Buffalo, New York

Robert H. Harrison, Chief of Police, City of Texarkana

Texarkana Weed and Seed

Texarkana, Arkansas

Wayne E. Rawlins, Executive Director

Miami/Miami-Dade Weed and Seed

Miami, Florida

MARCH

25–28 The 13th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. This annual

conference is organized by the National Crime Prevention Council and Youth Crime Watch of America

to educate youth and adults about preventing crime, violence, and drug use and to provide youth with a

forum to express their visions as today’s and tomorrow’s leaders. Visit www.ncpc.org/youthcon for more

information, or call 202–466–6272. 

29–Apr. 2 The National Center for Women in Policing will hold Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century:

Opportunities for Women in Law Enforcement in Baltimore, Maryland. Approximately 6,000 individuals 

are expected to attend to learn about innovations in policing, increasing and empowering women in

policing, and professional development. Exhibitors will include Office of Justice Programs representatives from the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Office for Victims

of Crime. For more information, please call 323–651–2532.

APRIL

20 The next segment in the EOWS Community Training Broadcast Series, Community Policing: Experts

Speak Out, will be broadcast. EOWS Director Stephen Rickman and leaders from law enforcement 

agencies across the country will present guidelines for community policing to a live national audience.

Contact Jeni Cox, 972–309–4609, at the Law Enforcement Training Network for information on how 

to connect to this live broadcast. 

See Conference Corner on page 20 for a complete calendar of EOWS regional meetings. Another conference

resource is the recently launched National Criminal Justice Reference Service Calendar of Events conference database (eventcalendar.ncjrs.org), which offers a comprehensive list of conferences, workshops, seminars, and other

events relating to juvenile and criminal justice and drug control policy. Use the calendar to identify events to attend

or to avoid scheduling conflicts with your own events.
EOWS receives hundreds 

of queries from the field each

month. Our Mailbox section provides 

a forum in which to answer questions and share comments.

Via this shared line of communication, Weed and Seed

sites can keep themselves informed and up-to-date—so we

need you to participate! E-mail your questions and comments to askeows@ojp.usdoj.gov or mail them to EOWS,

810 Seventh Street NW., Washington, DC 20531.

Weed and Seed Listserv

“I understand there is a listserv that distributes news

and updates about Weed and Seed to subscribers. How

do I get my name on this distribution list?”

Donya Phillippe

Query sent to askeows@ojp.usdoj.gov

To join the listserv, send an e-mail to melina@ilj.org. The 

e-mail must be sent from the address to be added to the

distribution list and the subject line in the header must

contain the words “Weed and Seed Listserv.” Subscribers to

the Weed and Seed Listserv will receive information about

Weed and Seed electronically. 

Weed and Seed Promotional Materials

“Does EOWS have any informational pamphlets on

Weed and Seed that sites may distribute to businesses

in the target area to inform them about Weed and

Seed?”

Dow Croyle

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Dallas, Texas

Sites should contact their EOWS Program Manager and

request a copy of the overall strategy Fact Sheet or reference the EOWS Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows). It

is recommended that each site create a Fact Sheet or

brochure reflective of its own strategy. EOWS can provide

details on the overall history and implementation of the

Weed and Seed strategy, but it is important for sites to

highlight the unique aspects of their individual strategies

to the members of their communities, including local businesses. In the past year, sites have been very creative in tailoring information to suit the mission of their marketing

plan. EOWS now presents these materials in its exhibit at

conferences across the country to give sites examples of the

possibilities of self-promotion.

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

Return Service Requested

FIRST-CLASS MAIL

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/EOWS

PERMIT NO. G–91