Weed and Seed
In 1991, the Department of Justice established the Weed & Seed program to assist communities in dealing with neighborhoods that had been hard hit by violent crime, drug and gang activity, and the erosion of social and economic stability that accompany those problems.
The program strategy employs a two-pronged approach:
1. Law enforcement agencies and criminal justice officials cooperate with each other to "weed out" criminals who are violent and abuse drugs to prevent them from victimizing residents.
2. Social services and economic revitalization are brought in to "seed" the area to ensure long term change and a higher quality of life for residents.
The four components of Weed and Seed are:
* Law Enforcement;
* Community Policing;
* Prevention / Intervention / Treatment; and
* Neighborhood Restoration.
There are three Weed & Seed sites in the District of Maine.
* Androscoggin County
* Sagadahoc County
* City of Calais
The two county sites are part of a larger project called the Community Justice Project.