Weed and Seed: Program Objectives

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Justice's Operation Weed and Seed Program, intended to help communities weed out crime and seed sites with crime prevention programs, focusing on: (1) program effectiveness; (2) communities' satisfaction with the program; (3) activity funding; and (4) the program's federal and local management structure. GAO noted that: (1) community involvement is important to the program's effectiveness and long-term success; (2) community residents at local sites control steering committees and help design and implement activities; (3) the emphasis on activities varies at local levels and community policing is a strong component of many programs; (4) weeding efforts have removed criminals from communities and increased interagency cooperation; (5) program officials believe that Justice should increase its funding for seeding activities so that seeding and weeding activities have equal funding; (6) Justice has established guidelines to monitor program funds and compliance with its policies and also an interagency work group to coordinate social services agencies' recommendations on seeding programs and exchange information; and (7) the program's management structure provides for federal, state, local, private agency, and citizen participation.