Classen-Ten-Penn NA

Weed & Seed Update

Jan 21, 2006

Weed & Seed Update
After almost two years of anticipation, Weed and Seed is coming to Classen-Ten-Penn and Gatewood. Weed and Seed is a joint local and federal law enforcement grant program meant to ?“weed?” out the bad and ?“seed?” in the good.
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The south side Weed and Seed program has reduced crime by 51 percent. Weed and Seed director for the City of Oklahoma City, Ed Martin, believes the Classen Weed and Seed site can be just as effective if not more effect because of the small area that will be served by the new program. Much of the funding will be used to pay for extra police patrols for our neighborhood. When the program begins there will be a no tolerance approach to traffic enforcement. So, don?’t float those stop signs and watch your speed! There is an Oklahoma City Police officer assigned to the Weed and Seed program. This officer will be a liaison between our neighborhood and the police department and can help us target specific problem areas.
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The neighborhood will also see an increase in code enforcement activities. Weed and Seed has a dedicated code enforcement inspector. This inspector not only cites residents for code enforcement, but also helps find resources for those who are unable to resolve their code violations on their own.
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The new Weed and Seed service center will be located at 16th and Indiana and will house a variety of services. There is a committee working towards deciding what services will be most important to our neighborhood. You may also be receiving surveys in the mail asking what issues are most important to you. It is important to return your surveys so that we know what the residents needs are. The current site includes programs like WIC, health clinics, ESL and SSL classes and a martial arts program for children.
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The federal funding should be available sometime in September. Funding for the first year is $175,000. For years two through four, funding is $225,000 a year. Watch this newsletter for additional information or come to our monthly association meetings.