DOI: 10.3886/icpsr06789
title: Evaluation of the Weed and Seed Initiative in the United States, 1994
title: Archival Version

description: The Department of Justice launched Operation Weed and Seed
 in 1991 as a means of mobilizing a large and varied array of resources
 in a comprehensive, coordinated effort to control crime and drug
 problems and improve the quality of life in targeted high-crime
 neighborhoods. In the long term, Weed and Seed programs are intended
 to reduce levels of crime, violence, drug trafficking, and fear of
 crime, and to create new jobs, improve housing, enhance the quality of
 neighborhood life, and reduce alcohol and drug use. This baseline data
 collection effort is the initial step toward assessing the achievement
 of the long-term objectives. The evaluation was conducted using a
 quasi-experimental design, matching households in comparison
 neighborhoods with the Weed and Seed target neighborhoods. Comparison
 neighborhoods were chosen to match Weed and Seed target neighborhoods
 on the basis of crime rates, population demographics, housing
 characteristics, and size and density. Neighborhoods in eight sites
 were selected: Akron, OH, Bradenton (North Manatee), FL, Hartford, CT,
 Las Vegas, NV, Pittsburgh, PA, Salt Lake City, UT, Seattle, WA, and
 Shreveport, LA. The "neighborhood" in Hartford, CT, was actually a
 public housing development, which is part of the reason for the
 smaller number of interviews at this site. Baseline data collection
 tasks included the completion of in-person surveys with residents in
 the target and matched comparison neighborhoods, and the provision of
 guidance to the sites in the collection of important process data on a
 routine uniform basis. The survey questions can be broadly divided
 into these areas: (1) respondent demographics, (2) household size and
 income, (3) perceptions of the neighborhood, and (4) perceptions of
 city services. Questions addressed in the course of gathering the
 baseline data include: Are the target and comparison areas
 sufficiently well-matched that analytic contrasts between the areas
 over time are valid? Is there evidence that the survey measures are
 accurate and valid measures of the dependent variables of interest --
 fear of crime, victimization, etc.? Are the sample sizes and response
 rates sufficient to provide ample statistical power for later
 analyses? Variables cover respondents' perceptions of the
 neighborhood, safety and observed security measures, police
 effectiveness, and city services, as well as their ratings of
 neighborhood crime, disorder, and other problems. Other items included
 respondents' experiences with victimization, calls/contacts with
 police and satisfaction with police response, and involvement in
 community meetings and events. Demographic information on respondents
 includes year of birth, gender, ethnicity, household income, and
employment status.
description: The Department of Justice launched Operation Weed
 and Seed in 1991 as a means of mobilizing a large and varied array of
 resources in a comprehensive, coordinated effort to control crime and
 drug problems and improve the quality of life in targeted high-crime
 neighborhoods. In the long term, Weed and Seed programs are intended
 to reduce levels of crime, violence, drug trafficking, and fear, and
 to create new jobs, improve housing, enhance the quality of
 neighborhood life, and reduce the use of drugs and alcohol. This
 baseline data collection effort is the initial step toward assessing
 the achievement of the long-term objectives. Questions addressed in
 the course of gathering the baseline data include: Are the target and
 comparison areas sufficiently well-matched that analytic contrasts
 between the areas over time are valid? Is there evidence that the
 survey measures are accurate and valid measures of the dependent
 variables of interest -- fear of crime, victimization, etc.? Are the
 sample sizes and response rates sufficient to provide ample
statistical power for later analyses?
description: This baseline data collection effort was conducted
 using a quasi-experimental design, matching comparison neighborhoods
 with the Weed and Seed target neighborhoods. Comparison neighborhoods
 were chosen to match Weed and Seed target neighborhoods on the basis
 of crime rates, population demographics, housing characteristics, and
 size and density. Neighborhoods in eight sites were selected: Akron,
 OH, Bradenton (North Manatee), FL, Hartford, CT, Las Vegas, NV,
 Pittsburgh, PA, Salt Lake City, UT, Seattle, WA, and Shreveport, LA.
 Baseline data collection tasks included the completion of in-person
 surveys with residents in the target and matched comparison
 neighborhoods, and the provision of guidance to
 the sites in the collection of important process data on a routine
 uniform basis. The in-person surveys involved the local recruitment
 and training of supervisors and interviewers, questionnaire
 development and testing, and the development of validation and contact
 instruments, recording forms, survey procedures, and household
sampling plans.
description: The survey questions can be broadly divided into
 ten areas: (1) respondent demographics, (2) household size and income,
 (3) perceptions of the neighborhood, (4) ratings of neighborhood
 crime, disorder, and other problems, (5) perceptions of safety and
 observed security measures, (6) victimization, (7) calls/contacts with
 police and satisfaction with police response, (8) perceptions of
 police effectiveness, (9) perceptions of city services, and (10)
 citizen involvement in community meetings and events. From the survey
 data, the following baseline measures are arguably most central to
 Weed and Seed objectives: (a) satisfaction with the neighborhood,
 perceptions of drug-dealing and violent crime, (b) fear of crime, (c)
 victimization, (d) police contact, responsiveness, and effectiveness,
and (e) citizen involvement.
description: Response Rates: The number of interviews completed for each of
 the eight sites are: Akron, OH: 239, Bradenton, FL: 641, Hartford, CT:
 83, Las Vegas, NV: 510, Pittsburgh, PA: 471, Salt Lake City, UT: 245,
Seattle, WA: 571, and Shreveport, LA: 262.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used.
description: Two primary criteria for site selection were: (1) that a
 comprehensive Weed and Seed program had been implemented in the
 neighborhood, including seeding activities, and (2) that records be
 available for assessment of the program's impact on the target
 neighborhood. The selection of candidate neighborhoods was based on
 (1) analyses of police and census data on the variables of interest
 identified above, and (2) subjective reports from Weed and Seed,
 police, and community representatives concerning the "match" of
 candidate neighborhoods to Weed and Seed neighborhoods on physical,
 social, and crime characteristics that might not be reflected in
 official data. Based on consultations with local officials, matched
 comparison neighborhoods were selected that were as similar as
 possible to the character of the target area. Once the comparison
 neighborhoods were selected, households in comparison and target
 neighborhoods were randomly selected for interviews. In the majority
 of sites, some sort of comprehensive listing of addresses was located
to facilitate the selection.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Evaluation of the Weed and Seed Initiative in the United States, 1994
description: Individuals living in households within comparison and target
 neighborhoods in Akron, OH, Bradenton, FL, Hartford, CT, Las Vegas, NV,
Pittsburgh, PA, Salt Lake City, UT, Seattle, WA, and Shreveport, LA.
description: The codebook, user guide, and data collection
 instrument are provided as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The
 PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be
 accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader.
 Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided
through the ICPSR Website on the Internet.