This is the city of Long Beach Weed and Seed Program application spearheaded by the Long Beach Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Force (chaired by Lydia A. Hollie, JD/MAED). Over 45 community members, civic, business, and education leaders, and city staff engaged in a six-month application process (June 2006-December 2006). That level of civic engagement reflect a real-time example of true collaboration. This application was submitted and administered by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. On August 4, 2007, the funding cycle for 2007-2012 was initially awarded for $1 million, divided equally between law enforcement and the community. The nationwide competition was fierce with over 200 jurisdictional applications submitted. However, Long Beach was one of the 38 cities that received funding.
Text of Fiscal Year 2007 City of Long Beach Weed and Seed Communities Application
APPLICATION: FY 2007 WEED AND SEED COMMUNITIESI. NAME AND LOCATION:Site/Neighborhood Name: Long Beach Police Beats 4 and 5City: Long BeachState: CaliforniaUSAO District: Central District of CaliforniaProposed Weed and Seed Site Basic Description:Approximate size of site: __2.02_______ Square miles __45, 308________PopulationIs this an area in a jurisdiction with an existing Weed and Seed site? ___No___If so, provide site name: _________________________________________Identify specific boundaries of the designated focus area: Provide the streetname/numbers that border the designated Weed and Seed area.West Boundary: Los Angeles RiverEast Boundary: Cherry AvenueSouth Boundary: Anaheim StreetNorth Boundary: Hill StreetIndicate the census tract #s (CT) included in the site:Complete CTs ___575401_, __575300__, __575201____, __573001___,___573300__, __573202___, __575402___, ___575202___, 573002 .Map of the designated focus area: Provide a map of the proposed site delineating itsperimeter, and showing its relation to the city or county, as appropriate.Rural or Indian Tribe/Tribal community: Yes ______ No __X______ U.S. Department of Justice 1 Weed and Seed Communities Competitive Program City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Justice 2 Weed and Seed Communities Competitive ProgramCity of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:The City of Long Beach Police Beats 4 and 5 Weed and Seed Program began as an adhoc committee that grew out of the Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task ForceReport presented to the City Council in 2003. While some progress has been made toaddress and recognize the number of at-risk and troubled youth and young adults, thereare those who have not been as fortunate in their efforts to live successfully in todaysenvironment. The City has reached a point where a coordinated and comprehensivecitywide approach must be undertaken to sustain our motto, Diversity is Our Strength,especially in a climate where violence among the youth and young adults populationhas continued to take center stage.Organization Composition:The primary composition of the Weed and Seed Project is the City of Long Beach:Department of Health and Human Services; the Long Beach Police Department; andthe Community Development Department. Administrative oversight is the purview of theDepartment of Health and Human Services and policy oversight is the purview of theWeed and Seed Steering Committee. The Co-chairs of the Steering committee are therepresentatives of the United States Attorneys Office and the Chair of the Youth andGang Violence Prevention Task Force.Steering Committee:The Steering Committee is composed of representatives of the City of Long BeachDepartment of Health and Human Services, Community Development, Parks,Recreation and Marine, City Manager, Library, Building and Planning, Public Works,Long Beach Police Department, and Office of the City Prosecutor, United StatesAttorney, Drug Enforcement Administration, social service agencies, faith based andcommunity based organizations and residents. The Co- chairs of the SteeringCommittee are Dr. Lydia Hollie of the Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Forceand Grace Denton, Coordinator of the United States Attorneys Office.Subcommittee Structure:The subcommittee structure is divided into a Weed subcommittee and a Seedsubcommittee. Each subcommittee has a chair and a co-chair with residents on eachsubcommittee.City/Demographics: The city of Long Beach has a population of over 487,000 residents. It is the 5th largest city in the State of California and the 2nd largest city in Los Angeles County. Long Beach is one of only three cities in California with its own Health Department and Energy Department, and the only city in California with its own Oil Department. Incorporated in 1886, the Long Beach area is 52.3 square miles and was designated by the Census 2000 as the most diverse large city in the nation. U.S. Department of Justice 3 Weed and Seed Communities Competitive Program City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
Youth under the age of 18 make up 28% of the population. 19.2% of Long Beach residents live below the national poverty rate 12.6% and 10.5% for the state. There are approximately 100 gangs in Long Beach and approximately 5,000 gang members There are currently 6,500 high school dropouts. Long Beach was named one of the 100 Best Communities for young people in 2005.Weed and Seed Site Description: The target site is Long Beach Police Beats 4 and 5,which encompasses the area east of the Los Angeles River, south of Hill Street, west ofCherry Avenue and north of Anaheim Street. The service areas include the zip codes of90806 and 90813. The area is within the designated Enterprise Zone in the City of LongBeach, a Redevelopment Project Area and Community Development Block GrantTarget Zones. The proposed project services area is within the State of California, the County of Los Angeles, the City of Long Beach in Police Beats 4 and 5. The population of police Beats 4 and 5 is 45,887. Of the target area population, the majority is Hispanic 55%, Asian 17%, and African American 16.9%. 14% are below the age of six; 13% are between the ages of 12 to 17; 13% are between the ages of 18 to 24; and the largest age group, 16% are 35 to 44. 17% have less than a 9th grade education, 46% speak Spanish, and 34% are non-citizens. Total households in the area are 11,624, with 81% renters and 19% owners, and 1,017 vacancies. The median household income is $21,728, the majority of the residents 52% average less than $15,000 annually. Total Part I and Part II crimes in Beats 4 and 5 for 2004, 2005 and 2006(January thru June) are 3,787; 3,756 and 2,048 respectively. The citywide arrest of juveniles for 2004 are 2,266; 2005 are 2,437; and 2006 are 332 as of January 2006. Los Angeles County Probation violations in Long Beach for minors in 2005 was 1133 and 2006 was 1221; 927 had search conditions on their probation.Direction of Multi-Year Plan (1-5 Years): Long Beach Police Beats 4 and 5 Weed and Seed site will begin its first year of activities by focusing on the problems areas identified by the target area. Law Enforcement: Reduce narcotic related activity in Police Beats 4 and 5. Reduce gang-related activity in Police Beats 4 and 5. Reduce truancy in the target area. Reduce graffiti within Police Beats 4 and 5. U.S. Department of Justice 4 Weed and Seed Communities Competitive Program City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
Community Policing: Implement the Community Oriented Public Safety (COPS) Philosophy within Police Beats 4 and 5. Enhance the partnerships between the target Community and the Long Beach Police Department. Enhance a lasting and continued relationship within and among state and local law enforcement, probation and parole agencies. Prevention/Intervention/Treatment: Provide educational, career preparation, social and economic/life skills activities. Coordinate existing prevention services for youth. Implement Parenting/Grandparents who parent youth Support Groups. Provide services for Substance Abuse Treatment/Aftercare. Neighborhood Restoration: Improve the quality of life in Police Beats 4 and 5.Overview of Year 1 and Year 2 efforts:Year 1:Law Enforcement and Community Policing:The Long Beach Police Beats 4 and 5 Weed and Seed Program will begin its first yearlaying the foundation for the five-year duration of grant implementation. With a lawenforcement strategy to increase drug related arrests annually by 5%, the tasks will beto identify high-risk locations for narcotic activities, increase focused drug enforcement,utilize an inter-agency task force including local, county, and state agencyrepresentatives, and enforce compliance of parolees and probationers in the targetarea.The Prevention/Intervention/Treatment strategy:Is to provide education, career preparation, social and economic/life skills activities forthe target area, measured by the number of residents who receive services. The effortswill entail teaching job readiness skills, work with placement agencies, coordinateexisting services and bring in new resources, present drug and gang prevention andeducation program at Safe Havens, churches, schools and other locations, promoteeducational programs to ex-offenders to assure work skills for employment.Neighborhood Restoration:Improve neighborhood livability measured by reduction in substandard units, a decreasein graffiti and trash. U.S. Department of Justice 5 Weed and Seed Communities Competitive Program City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
Year 2:Each succeeding year will continue to build on the strategies implemented in
