The question

 What is Weed and Seed?"

Has been met with a number of answers ranging from

     It's a gardening program" to "It's an illegal drug program."

 Well, for the residents of Highland Park DPD Central District, those answers are wrong.

  Weed and Seed is a strategy within the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs that incorporates community- based initiatives. 

It is an innovative and comprehensive multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention and community revitalization.

The Weed and Seed strategy involves a two-pronged approach.

 Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperate in "weeding out" criminals who participate in crime, narcotics and drug abuse, attempting to prevent their return to the target area by using tools such as mandatory federal time in convictions and task forces that include city, county, state and federal law enforcement.

 The other aspect of the strategy provides a "seeding" mechanism that brings service programs, projects and initiatives to the area which encompass prevention, intervention, treatment and neighborhood revitalization.