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Success of first
‘Weed and Seed’
sprouts a second

Crime is down by almost
half in the neighborhood
where it began in 1998

By Pat Gee
Star-Bulletin

Crime near Mayor Wright Housing in Kalihi has declined by about 45 percent in the last two years, according to U.S. Attorney Steven S. Alm.

And there is no longer any open drug dealing on Pua Lane, where it was commonplace for a decade, Alm adds.

That's proof that the federal government's "Weed and Seed" program works, Alm said, and it has led to more.

The U.S. attorney's office announced yesterday that the U.S. Department of Justice has officially recognized Waipahu as Hawaii's second "Weed and Seed" site.

"This is great news for Waipahu and Hawaii and is a recognition of the commitment of the residents, businesses, nonprofits and various government agencies to work together to effect change in a community," Alm said.

Before implementing the project this summer, a steering committee is asking residents about what crimes they would most like eliminated, Alm said.

He also said funding for the program in Waipahu will be determined in the next four months.

The Kalihi project received $239,000 the first year and $175,000 the second year.

Alm cited an example of a "seed," or beneficial program, that helped the Kapalama area.

He said the Hawaii Community Development Corp. has allowed a two-bedroom unit in Mayor Wright Housing to be used as a community center, "a safe haven for kids to play" or use donated computers.

Police officers "hang out there, too," and the department has "assigned four officers to walk the beat" in that area alone.

"That way the police officers get to know the residents and shopkeepers by name" and the residents "now will tell police" what they know, Alm said.

Other "success stories" of the seed programs include the Queen Liliuokalani Children's Center providing free tutoring for kids after school, and St. Francis Hospital opening a health center for the elderly at Kukui Gardens, he said.

Alm said the Justice Department has been highly successful in weeding out the drug dealers because they arrested them based on a federal law prohibiting anyone from selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a public housing project, school or public park.

"We arrested more than 100 dealers and more than 60 have been convicted thus far in federal court in the past 1 years. They all go to federal prison on the mainland. The rest of the 40 are awaiting trial," he said.