Operation Weed and Seed is a comprehensive effort to rid communities of drugs and violent crime and then to restore the communities. This project is closely related to the idea of co-production of public safety and community policing. ILJ provides a wide range of technical assistance to the Operation Weed and Seed sites. Weed and Seed has involved an integrated multi-agency approach to law enforcement and community revitalization. The U.S. Department of Justice initially funded three pilot sites and has now selected over 90 sites nationwide to participate in the program.
There are four basic components in the Weed and Seed program: law enforcement; community policing; prevention, intervention and treatment; and neighborhood revitalization. ILJ is currently responsible for brokering technical assistance and training to all Weed and Seed sites.
ILJ has developed and delivered training curricula in community policing, community mobilization and empowerment, implementing safe havens, firearms abatement initiatives, and evaluating programs. In addition, ILJ staff helped draft the Weed and Seed Operations Manual, developed and maintains a Weed and Seed webpage for the Internet, and hosts a Weed and Seed listserv.