Weed & Seed

Weed & Seed, a community-based strategy sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, is an innovative, comprehensive multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization. The Community Capacity Development Office oversees the Weed & Seed initiative.

The D’Iberville/East Biloxi Weed & Seed encompasses the geographic area in Biloxi from Veterans Boulevard east to the city limits and north to the Bay, and the entire city of D’Iberville. Weed & Seed partners on the Coast include: Visions of Hope, Youth for Christ, Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, Gulf Coast Women’s Center for Non-Violence, Biloxi Police Department, and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast.

Weed & Seed is foremost a strategy—rather than a grant program—that aims to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in designated high-crime neighborhoods across the country. The Weed & Seed strategy is a multilevel strategic plan that includes four basic components: law enforcement; community policing; prevention, intervention, and treatment; and neighborhood restoration. Four fundamental principles underlie the Weed & Seed strategy: collaboration, coordination, community participation, and leveraging of resources.

The strategy involves a two-pronged approach: law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperate in "weeding out" violent criminals and drug abusers and public agencies and community-based private organizations collaborate to "seed" much-needed human services, including prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood restoration programs. A community-oriented policing component bridges the weeding and seeding elements.

For more information contact Rene' Davis, Site Coordinator, (228) 702-3108, rdavis@bgcgulfcoast.org.