The U.S.Attorney for the Southern District of Texas sponsors 12 Officially Recognized Weed and Seed sites throughout the district in Houston - Gulfton, Greater Fifth Ward and Near Northside, Corpus Christi North and Corpus Christi West, Galveston, Brownsville, McAllen, the Aldine community in Harris County, and Richmond's Shalome Zone in Ft Bend County and the newest officially recognized site, Laredo.
The LECC Coordinator, Community Affairs Specialist and Texas National Guard soldiers assigned to the U.S. Attorney's Office work directly with the Weed and Seed communities and the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Weed and Seed in support of these community-based public safety initiatives. An Assistant U.S. Attorney, along with a designated Assistant District Attorney, is assigned to each site to coordinate the criminal cases that stem from the law enforcement, or "weeding" strategies.
The Programs Division staff work to enhance the Weed & Seed initiative by incorporating related community-based programs such as the Texas Community Youth Development, the OJJDP Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Chronic and Violent Juvenile Offenders, and the Youth Focused Community Policing programs of the Empowerment Zone and the Houston Enhanced Enterprise Community.
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Operation
Weed & Seed |
The strategy involves a two-pronged approach: law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperate in "weeding out" criminal who participate in violent crime and drug abuse, attempting to prevent their return to the targeted area; and "seeding" brings human services to the area, encompassing prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood revitalization.