NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
20 November 2002

MAJOR “WEED & SEED” ANTI-CRIME EFFORT LAUNCHED IN S. ALLISON HILL; 84 SUSPECTS ARRESTED AND $34,515 IN DRUGS AND CASH SEIZED BY POLICE

Harrisburg, PA—Harrisburg’s South Allison Hill will be the focus of a major new anti-crime and neighborhood development initiative made possible by a $185,000 federal “Weed and Seed” grant, Mayor Stephen R. Reed today announced.

The comprehensive effort will involve intensive law enforcement, anti-blight, social and other community development services to the targeted area of South Allison Hill and in an area of eastern Harrisburg bounded by Cameron, S. 18th, Market and Paxton Streets. The initial phase of the effort has already occurred over the past 14 weeks, involving undercover drug purchases, yielding 84 suspects wanted on charges ranging from attempted homicide to prostitution to drugs and weapons possessions. More than $35,515 in cash and drugs were seized during the operation, which culminated with a mass, pre-dawn arrest of as many as 34 additional suspects today, Reed said.

Mayor Reed said the new initiative will help to remove violent felons and illegal firearms and narcotics from the area, along with dedicated and on-going attention to quality of life issues, including rigorous city codes enforcement.

Reed said the “Weed and Seed” program will involve a concerted partnership between all levels of government and the private and non-profit sectors to reduce crime and restore neighborhood stability and growth. The “Weed” component of the program involves intensive law enforcement focus in the targeted areas, while the “Seed” aspect provides for long term community and neighborhood development and empowerment strategies and programs.

“This will be one of the most comprehensive and holistic community development initiatives ever undertaken by the City,” said Mayor Reed. “It will involve everything from increased police services and codes enforcement to neighborhood rehabilitation and community leadership development.

“We are delighted with the receipt of these important federal grant monies, and believe that they will enable us to undertake the concentrated reforms that are needed in this area of the city.”

The Mayor noted that the total project cost is $246,664.00, with the balance in excess of the “Weed and Seed” grant monies provided by the City of Harrisburg and other public and private sources.

Reed said the “Weed” effort will involve an intensive effort by all levels of law enforcement to remove criminals, drugs and guns from streets in the targeted areas. Program monies will pay for police officers who will be exclusively assigned to the area, along with frequent special enforcement details that will target illegal guns, drugs and repeat offenders in the zone.

The Mayor said the initial phase of the “Weed” effort concluded this morning with the arrest of as many as 34 suspects still being sought in connection with the 14-week long undercover law enforcement operation, known as “Triggerlock”. 50 different suspects have already been taken into custody in connection with the operation, most for drug sales and possession, but several for more serious crimes, including the attempted murder of one of the undercover police officers. 86 different narcotics purchases were made during “Triggerlock”, with officers from the Pennsylvania State Police and the Lancaster City Police conducting the undercover buys, in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.

Reed noted that police seized approximately $34,513 in cash and drugs, including 196 grams of crack cocaine, 429 bags of heroin, and 12 bags of marijuana. Also seized were handguns, a shotgun and various bullet-proof vests, pagers, cellphones, police radio scanners, scales and packaging materials.

The Mayor said the “Seed” aspect of the program provides for funding of several newly-established community development organizers, who will assist residents in establishing neighborhood-based community redevelopment activities, projects and leadership. A key component of the effort will be the selection of ten neighborhood residents to serve as organizers for various empowerment activities, such as forming crimewatch and adopt-a-block groups, and to serve as key liaisons on behalf of neighborhood residents to the project’s other participating entities.

The “Seed” partners include the area’s community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, community, and social and other service agencies from varying levels of government.

Reed said the “Weed and Seed” program is a key component of the city’s larger-scale renewal activities for the South Allison Hill area that over the past few years has received over $40 million dollars in new public and private investment. The targeted district has long been plagued by higher than average poverty levels, educational deficiencies, elevated crime and drug abuse rates, pervasive residential transience, and high housing vacancy rates.

Joining with the city police and codes officers and the Mayor’s Office in implementing the “Weed” portion of the effort are the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the state Attorney General’s Office, State Probation and Parole, and the PA State Police’s Bureaus of Criminal Investigation, Drug Law Enforcement, Liquor Control Enforcement and various Troop and Area Commands. Personnel from various Dauphin County agencies will also join in the effort, with personnel from the District Attorney’s Office, Adult Probation and Parole, Sheriff’s Office, Prison and Pre-Trial Services also participating.

Assisting the Mayor’s Office and the city on the “Seed” aspects of the program will be the Community Action Commission, Tri-County Housing Develop- ment Corporation, YWCA of Greater Harrisburg, Brethren Housing Association, Danzante Cultural Center, Program for Female Offenders, Discipleship Center, Mt. Pleasant Hispanic Center, the Joshua Group, South Allison Hill Civic Assn., Pride Day Care, the Boys and Girls Club, Shimmel Elementary School, and virtually all of the neighborhood’s faith-based organizations, including churches, food kitchens, health clinics and counseling centers.

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