Evaluation of the East Anchorage Weed and Seed

Justice Center

Research >East Anchorage Weed and Seed

Principal investigator(s):	Matt Giblin	Sharon Chamard
Other project personnel:	Brad Myrstol
Project dates:	May 2001–June 2002	March–September 2008
JC#:	0204.01	0204.02
Funding agency:	East Anchorage Weed and Seed	East Anchorage Weed and Seed
Project amount:	$4500	$4,500
Project status:	Completed	Completed

See also:

> Community surveys

Weed & Seed, begun in 1991, is a collaborative enterprise sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs through its Community Capacity Development Office (formerly the Executive Office of Weed & Seed) to bring together private and public agencies aimed at the prevention, control, and reduction of violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in targeted high-crime neighborhoods across the country. Weed & Seed consists of a two-pronged strategy: first, to “weed out” violent offenders, drug dealers, and other criminals who undermine the quality of life for community residents and to prevent their return to the area; and second, to “seed in” positive practices, programs and institutions that contribute to a better quality of life for neighborhoods, including human services and neighborhood revitalization efforts (e.g., neighborhood clean-up). Community policing strategies provide a bridge between the "weeding" and "seeding" activities, in which police officers work to develop contextualized, community-specific solutions through strategic partnerships with community residents and institutions.

The East Anchorage Weed & Seed site, a racially and ethnically diverse neighborhood located in the northeast part of Anchorage, is currently the only Weed & Seed site in Alaska. In 2001, it had an estimated population of more than 20,000 people living in nearly 7,600 households.

In support of East Anchorage Weed & Seed's effort to evaluate the Weed & Seed initiative in Northeast Anchorage, the Justice Center conducted a community survey designed to measure Northeast community residents’ level of satisfaction with their neighborhood as a place to live, specifically with regards to residents' feelings about neighborhood safety, neighborhood crime levels, criminal victimization, police activity in the neighborhood, and the availability of social services.

In 2008, a second evaluation using the same survey instrument was conducted to assess whether there had been any changes to dimensions measured by the surveys.

Reports

Myrstol, Brad A. (2002). Northeast Community Survey: Final Report. Report prepared for the East Anchorage Weed & Seed. Anchorage, AK: Justice Center, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Chamard, Sharon and Myrstol, Brad A. (Oct 2008). Northeast Community Survey 2008: Final Report. Report prepared for the East Anchorage Weed & Seed. Anchorage, AK: Justice Center, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Articles

Chamard, Sharon. (Fall 2008). "East Anchorage Weed and Seed 2008 Community Survey." Alaska Justice Forum 25(3): 6.

Last updated 10-Nov-2009 by ayjust@uaa.alaska.edu