Report Title:

Weed and Seed Strategy; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds for the weed and seed strategy. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1630

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

Making an appropriation for the weed and seed strategy.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The weed and seed strategy is a United States Department of Justice initiative that is administered locally by the United States Attorney's Office. Initiated in 1992, the strategy currently includes more than three hundred sites in two hundred twenty-six cities across the country.

The weed and seed strategy is a collaborative effort among law enforcement (federal, state, and county) agencies, social service agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and residents to reclaim, restore, and rebuild communities. The four key elements of the weed and seed strategy are:

(1) Law enforcement;

(2) Community policing;

(3) Prevention, intervention, and treatment programs; and

(4) Neighborhood restoration.

The weed and seed strategy works with local law enforcement to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in targeted neighborhoods by "weeding" out the criminal element in the community. Community policing involves having police officers work closely with community residents to develop solutions to violent and drug-related crimes. The next step is to "seed" the community with human services that include prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood revitalization.

The legislature finds that the weed and seed strategy has been successful since its inception in the Kalihi-Palama and Chinatown areas of downtown Honolulu. The legislature further finds that since the beginning of the initiative, crime in those areas has been significantly reduced. The legislature further finds that the strategy's success warrants its expansion into other communities.

The weed and seed program is implemented with minimal staff positions to help facilitate and coordinate the strategy of each designated community. Personnel also offers support and assistance to non-designated areas interested in implementing the weed and seed components to decrease crime and improve safety in their neighborhood. These positions and basic office operations are critical to the implementation of the site strategy, linking law enforcement with community residents, as well as forging key relationships and partnerships between agencies and organizations that make up the weed and seed components. The administrative staff of the executive director and operations officer creates the link between the different sites and statewide resources. These staff positions are also vital in working within the agencies to link them to each other and to the individual sites, allowing service access to the residents, and collaboration of resources.

Site coordinators for each site are critical to working in the target area to address specific issues of their assigned communities. Coordinators work directly with residents, organizations, and businesses in their area to implement their site strategies and improve the quality of life for their residents. This central facilitation component that the weed and seed program provides to communities is the foundation for community building strategies to occur and is the component to be funded through this Act.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, as a grant-in-aid pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to hire site coordinators and facilitate the central facilitation component of the weed and seed strategy.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of the attorney general through a contract with the Honolulu YMCA for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.