The US Department of Justice launched Operation Weed & Seed in 1991 as a federally funded initiative that provides technical and financial support to create local strategies to reduce and prevent crime, illicit drug use, and gang activities
in target neighborhoods of officially recognized Weed & Seed designated cities.  Weed & Seed is administered through the Executive Office for Weed & Seed (EOWS) within the Department of Justice. 

 

In 2004 the office changed its name to the Community Capacity Development Office to better reflect its mission of partnering with selected cities to develop, implement, and evaluate policies that best serve the target neighborhood. 

 

The premise of of Weed & Seed is a simple three tiered approach:

1) "Weed" out crime in a geographically targeted area

2) "Seed" the area with community oriented human service programs

3) Create a proactive "community policing" strategy to concentrate resources in specific target neighborhood
as a "bridge" between the "weeding" and the "seeding" elements of the strategy

 

The core belief for Weed & Seed is based on a four
component strategy:

Law Enforcement

Community Policing

Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment

Neighborhood Restoration