Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee
History and background of Law Enforcement Coordination in the United States Attorney's Office
In the summer of 1981, the Attorney General's Task Force on violent Crime recommended that each United States Attorney establish a Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC). The bi-partisan Task Force included eight distinguished national criminal justice experts who closely examined federal, state and local law enforcement needs. The recommendation to establish LECCs came as a direct result of the group's finding that local law enforcement cooperation was crucial, but that cooperation nationwide was uneven.
The Attorney General responded to the Task Force recommendations, and on July 21, 1981, issued an order instructing every United States Attorney to establish an LECC. Each committee has a U.S. Attorney's Office staff member as its coordinator. Today all 93 United States Attorneys' Offices has an LECC consisting of Federal, state and local agencies involved in district law enforcement. The goal of these committees is to improve cooperation and coordination among law enforcement groups, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. The LECC program has become a cornerstone of joint federal, state and local law enforcement efforts.
In the Western District of Michigan, the LECC has taken the lead in addressing training concerns for law enforcement. The LECC offers numerous training seminars each year related to current issues. These training sessions are open to all Federal, Tribal, State and Local law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, the Law Enforcement Coordinator for the Western District of Michigan is responsible for a number of special projects that are generated within the United States Attorney’s Office. The main project is Operation Weed and Seed. Operation Weed and Seed is a program that is designed to reduce violent crime and drug activity within a targeted neighborhood. The strategy involves first the use of law enforcement to weed out criminal activity and then the use of human service agencies to “seed” the area with need services for the residents. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan has been involved in the Weed and Seed Program since 1991. There are a number of Weed and Seed sites within the District. The cities that are currently involved in the Weed and Seed program are:
- Battle Creek
- Central City-Grand Rapids
- Grand Rapids
- Muskegon/Muskegon Heights
Contact Information:
For more information on the Law Enforcement Coordination committee in West Michigan please contact:
Law Enforcement Coordinator
Western District of Michigan
P.O. Box 208
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501-0208
Phone: 616-456-2404
This web page last updated
on:
March 23, 2007