Washington, D.C. - Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded a $175,000 grant for the Weed and Seed Program in the Northwest Park/Oakview community of Silver Spring.  The Weed and Seed program is a community-based, comprehensive, multi-agency approach to combating violent crime, drug use and gang activity in at-risk neighborhoods.  The Northewest Park/Oakview Weed and Seed Site received official recognition in June 2005.  This is the site’s first award to implement its strategy.
  
"This is good news for Silver Spring,” said Van Hollen.  “This collaboration between federal, state and local agencies will strengthen our community and improve safety in this neighborhood.  This much-needed funding will help meet the goal of creating safer neighborhoods and keeping young people off the streets and drug free."

During this project period, law enforcement efforts will focus on reducing the amount of drug-related crime, gang activity and substance abuse in the Northwest Park/Oakview community.  Neighborhood policing strategies will improve community-police relations while working to address safety concerns.  Prevention, intervention and treatment goals will leverage additional services for the area and build capacity for safe havens to provide relevant programs.  Neighborhood restoration activities will implement neighborhood initiative plans to revitalize the area.

The Weed and Seed approach to weeding out violent crime and gang activity while seeding the community with social services and economic revitalization emphasizes four principles: aggressive law enforcement strategies; community policing; the provision of crime prevention, intervention, and treatment services; and neighborhood restoration and revitalization activities.  The strategy focuses on a process that identifies selected issues, resources, community problems and needs, action steps with practical results, and innovative approaches to problem solving.