SECTION 1: ProgramOverview
City of Pomona Weed and Seed Strategy (Fisseha and Gabe)

Overview

Weed and Seed is a strategy funded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that is an inventive, comprehensive multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime deterrence, and community renewal. The Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO) of the Department of Justice (DoJ) oversees the Weed and Seed initiative on behalf of the federal government.

According to the Weed and Seed Strategy Committee (Pomona), their Weed and Seed efforts aim to:

“prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in a designated high-crime neighborhood.”

Weed and Seed utilizes two methods for carrying out the strategy. First is to “weed” out criminals and drug abuse with the help of law-enforcement agencies and prosecutors. The second is forcommunity-based organizations and public agencies “seed” in neighborhood with community services and programs.
Armando Lopez, the Weed and Seed Site Coordinator stated that Weed and Seed presents youth and families with the challenge of making a difference in their community as well as providing institutions and agencies with opportunities for collaborative programs. It is important to note that a community-oriented policing component bridges the weeding and seeding elements of the strategy.

The prevention, intervention, and treatment components concentrate on an array of services that links law enforcement with social services agencies, the non-profit sector, and the community to improve the quality of life for area residents. Weed and Seed sites are required to establish safe havens, multi-service centers where youth and adult services are available. Through the coordinated use of federal, state, local, and private-sector resources, neighborhood restoration strategies focus on economic development and improvements to housing and the physical environment of a neighborhood.

Vision

The overall goal of the Weed and Seed Strategy is to prevent, control and reduce violent crime, drug abuse and gang activity in the designated high-crime neighborhoods.

Every Weed and Seed Strategy focuses on:

•Law Enforcement

•Community-Oriented Policing

•Prevention Intervention and Treatment

•Neighborhood Restoration

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement will integrate local, state and federal resources available to address the affected neighborhoods where gang and drug activities are linked.

Identified Goals

–Reduce the incidents of drug and gang activity by 15%.

–Identify, investigate and prosecute highly-visible drug dealers and gang members.

Community-Oriented Policing

Partner with non-law enforcement agencies for effective coordination and direct delivery of resources and services to project area residents.

Identified Goals

–Encourage resident reporting of all illegal weapons, drug and gang activity.

–Increase suspect identification through neighborhood victim/witness protection and assistance outreach service programs.

Prevention, Intervention and Treatment

Provide culturally appropriate services and educational assistance to neighborhood youth and families.

Identified Goals

–Provide counseling and case management for at-risk youth and anger management training for troubled families.

–Increase the availability of various services (i.e., drug treatment, counseling, case management, parenting skills training, educational opportunities).

Neighborhood Restoration

Provide training and assistance to promote participation in property revitalization activities and neighborhood rehabilitation.

Identified Goals

–Improve neighborhood and economic development opportunities within the targeted area.

–Decrease areas of blight and incidents of graffiti and vandalism.

Target Population

Below are the area’s demographics:

•Population - 21,023 (approx 14% of Pomona’s population)

•Demographics

–Latino 77.7%

–Households 3,906

–Average Family Income $48,455

–Avg. Household Size 4.7

–Overcrowding Rate 46.9%

–Population under 18 years old 38%

–Poverty Rate 19%

–Adults over 25 without a high school diploma 59%

Target Area

Located in the southern part of the City of Pomona, the Weed and Seed Strategy directly affects Council Districts 2 and 3 (83rd, 84th and 87th District) bordered by Lexington Ave on the north to the 60 Freeway on the south and by the 71 Freeway (west) to S. Reservoir St (to the east), with the population of about 15,000 residents.

History (Hilda Saizow Report)

In August of 2001, an Angela/Chanslor/Orchid (ACO) Strike Force project was developed to tackle community problemsand public safety concerns.One incident in the area involvedinnocent bystanders being caught in gang crossfire. The city infuriated by the expanding crime rate, drug and gang violence, the Angela Chancellor neighborhood and the city of Pomona joined forces with local organizations to initiate the ACO Strike Force to “eliminate crime violence, revitalize and restore a safe, positive and productive community environment.”

Since its August 2001 inception, the ACO Strike Force Steering Committee had conducted regularly scheduled meetings twice a month. Reports usually related to relevant neighborhood and community “happenings” (positive and negative), community social and cultural events and information on the current status of service delivery programs and/or organizational activities of member agencies and organizations such as the Pomona Police Department which was extensively involved in providing community policing services and anti-gang and drug enforcement effort to the project areas. In an effort to further augment the success of the ACO Strike Force, the Pomona PD had urged the ACOSF committee to adopt a Weed and Seed strategy as a complementary effort to existing ACO initiatives. This approach was seen as a means for improved long-term program performancethat would improve communications with neighborhood residents, increase economic opportunities and improve the quality of life in the target area.

However, the ACO efforts were not without its share or problems. The Police Department reported that in 2002 the ACO neighborhood was one of the lowest income and highest unemployment areas of the city of Pomona. As a neighborhood of low-to-moderate rental rates with relatively affordable apartments, many residents are recent immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and other Central and South American countries. These residents spoke little or no English andunfamiliarity with English provided a barrier for those seeking employment and/or training to become employed in better paying jobs. The residents tended to be transient, seeking safer living conditions for their families.

It was difficult for the ACOSF to acquire information about the project area because of the language barrier and the unwillingness by residents to provide surveyors with datathat they were concerned might jeopardize their immigrant status or living situation.

The ACO area, with its violent crime rate, had the highest Calls for Service (CFS) in the city. The number of crimes on a per capita basis exceeded the average for all neighborhoods in the city.

Pomona has the highest crime rate (4,026.9 per one hundred thousand in 2006) of all cities in Los AngelesCounty with the single exception of the city of Los Angeles (5,029.3). According to the Pomona Police Department’s gang records, the ACO project area –prior to Weed and Seed -- was dominated by the Olive Street gang, which had a membership of 68 persons and a number of unknown affiliates. It was important to the Police Department, members of the steering committee and city residents to weed out crime and introduce (seed) social programs by bringing together the ACO Task Force into the larger Weed and Seed strategy in hopes of getting additional funding to carry out prevention, intervention and treatment efforts inPomona.

SECTION 2:Perceptions of Program and Criteria (Anthony Haynes)

The Weed and Seed program is a community-based strategy overseen and approved by the United States Department of Justice. The program encompasses four distinct areas:

  1. Law Enforcement.
  2. Community development and revitalization.
  3. Community-Oriented Policing
  4. Prevention, Intervention and Treatment

The main goals of the Weed and Seed program are to prevent increases in violent crimes, drug use or abuse and gang violence. The primary goal for law enforcement during this program will be to “Weed Out” crime in targeted districts. The community development portion of the program will be geared towards “Seeding” the neighborhoods with community-based organizations.

Police will involve and engage the community and seek to solve problems collaboratively.

Community intervention and prevention will use social services and the non-profit sector to aid and serve the community.

Safe havens will be established in three locations throughout the target area.

  1. Renacimiento, near the Angela/Chancellor neighborhoods.
  2. PhiladelphiaCommunity Center
  3. LexingtonElementary School (Per the Letter of Understanding, April 2008).

The utmost importance has been placed on containing the Olive-Street gang and its affiliates operating in the target area. The demise and elimination of the Olive gang is the main goal for the “weeding” aspect of the program.

Technical Assistance Perspective on Program in 2006

Hildy Saizow summarized the concerns of the Department of Justice regarding the Pomona program.

  1. The Steering Committee of Weed and Seed did not appear to understand the goals and objectives of program and there was no clear strategy.
  1. There was a need to strengthen neighborhood organizations and to support leaders from within the community.
  2. There was a need to build trust amongst the Steering Committee members. Disagreements and frustrations amongmembers resulted in an unproductive work environment.
  1. Residents are not involved in the four sub-committees due to lack of meetings.
  1. There was not an operational Safe Haven in the area. There was a safe haven site outside of the target area that provided tutoring from 2:30 to 4:00 in the afternoon.
  2. There is a lot of confusion between the service providers and the Steering Committee. There was no criteria to determine what providers to hire and for what purpose.
  1. There needs to be much more communication between the Steering Committee and the community. Residents are not aware of what the Weed and Seed program is and how they can get involved.
  1. Improve the effectiveness of the Steering Committee by continuing to meet monthly. (Technical Assistance Summary, March 2006)

Weed and Seed Oversight Committee Perceptions of the Program, Goals and Criteria (Focus Group and Elite Interview of April 2005)

The Weed and Seed Focus Group and Elite Interviews were more closely aligned with the recommendations of the Department of Justice in 2008 than in 2006. For example Oversight Committee members indicated that:

  1. Police patrols have had an increase in presence within the target area
  2. Gang injunctions against the Olive St. Gang helped the community
  3. License plate reading equipment has helped solve crimes in the target area.

Community based support for the Weed and Seed program is best exemplified now by:

  1. The National Night Out event which has built the concept of neighborhood and allowed for the residents to feel safe in their homes and neighborhood,
  2. The Boy Scouts of America helps the community’s youths build skills outside of home,
  3. The Girl Scouts is also a skill builder for the youth,
  4. A Parenting program, initially provided by the school district, is independently run by two city employees on a voluntary basis,
  5. The Fists of Gold is helping the youthsbuild character and relieve frustrations in a gym and not out on the streets,
  6. Safe Havens have been pivotal for the neighborhood of Angela/Chancellor. The RenacimientoCenter is the focus of community activities in this area of district 84. The PhiladelphiaCommunity Center is small but still active and being used heavily by the youth. LexingtonSchool has had restrictions on the Weed and Seed Program but it is still a Safe Haven site and available for after school programs

These programs noted above are examples of efforts for greater community input, coordination and cooperation.

Some Community-Oriented Policing has been demonstrated by:

  1. The WE TIP hotline which was expanded to the target area to monitor suspicious activity. WE TIP is completely anonymous and builds trust between the police and residents.
  2. Community policing has informed residents that there is a neighborhood watch program and currently there are twenty such programs now operating in this area.

From this material the research evaluation team believes the overarching criteria to be used for assessing the Weed and Seed program are as follows:

  • A strategy to reduce crime
  • Collaboration, coordination and communication among community based organizations
  • Residential support for these efforts
  • Programs serve needs of area youth
  • Programs serve the residents of the target area
  • Cooperation and collaboration between police and residents
  • Better quality of life in neighborhoods: safer, cleaner, more trusting, etc. with regards to neighbors, service providers and government agencies.

The research team reviewed the criteria for strategies to reduce crime and found three elements of importance:

  1. Gang injunctions against the Olive St. Gang.
  2. License plate reading equipment to solve crimes in the target area.
  3. Police presence and safety has increased in the target area.

After reviewing the criteria for community based support through collaboration and coordination the research team found multiple items of interest:

  1. There is a Weed and Seed oversight committee with Armando Lopez as its coordinator.
  2. There is support from the Pomona Police Department who has assigned Cpl. Lena Becker to the Weed and Seed program and who serves on the Oversight Board.
  3. Safe Havens have been established to support the youth.
  4. Residents of the city are allowed to participate and volunteer their time.
  5. Various organizations have become involved in the program. For example, The Boy Scouts of America and The Girl Scouts.
  6. The Fall Festival is an opportunity to bring neighbors together to enjoy a safe evening as a community.
  7. Parental involvement of the youth in the community is a priority (at the local level) for the Weed and Seed program.
  8. Empowerment within the community may be demonstrated by the residents notifying police about local street hoodlums who deface property.
  9. Academics, drug counseling and treatment are some of the programs Weed and Seed offers the community.

Weed and Seed serves the residents of the target area. It operates in Pomona, California in policing districts 83, 84 and 87.

Cooperation between the community and police has shown support on three different occasions:

  1. Calls for service to the Police Department for assistance.
  2. Growth in Neighborhood Watch programs.

A better quality of life in neighborhoods can be mentioned in two different examples:

  1. Trust and support of neighbors.
  2. Trust and support of the police.
  3. More programs operated out of community centers
  4. Satisfaction with city services and youth programs.

These criteria will be utilized to assess the Weed and Seed program in Section 7 of this report.

SECTION 3:Crime Statistics for 2005 versus 2008 (Kevin and Michael)

This section of the report utilizes crime statistics from the Pomona Police Department for 2004-05 and 2006-07. The data includes information on major felonies (e.g. homicide, rape, robbery, etc.), misdemeanors and arrests by police reporting districts. Three districts (83, 84 and 87) are part of the target area and six districts (75, 81, 85, 86, 88 and 89) surround the target area and are utilized in this study as a comparison group.

The underlying assumption of the study is that crime should decrease and police arrests should increase as a result of Weed and Seed in the target districts. In theory there should be not significant changes in the control districts. If there are significant changes in the control areas they may be due to “spill over” effects of increased police activity. Spill over effects can be either negative or positive. A negative effect would be significant increases in crime but a positive effect could be increases in arrests. The analysis of the data is discussed below.

The difference between 2005 and 2008 in general for all districts:

  • There is a significant rise in arrests for serious crimes and there is a significant drop in reported rapes

Between 2005 and 2008 there was a significant drop in reported auto thefts in the target area.

However, during the same period there was a significant rise in arrests for serious crimes in the control area. Both outcomes are positive for controlling crime.

However, the differences were not uniform for all districts in the target and control areas. District differences are discussed below.

Districtsin the Control Area

District 75

  • There is no statistical change in District 75 between 2005 and 2008

District 81

  • There is a significant rise in arrests for serious crimes.

District 85

  • There is a significant rise in arrests for serious crimes.

District 86

  • There is no significant change in this district.

District 88