Bill providing grant for Weed and Seed advances at Capitol
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
A measure to infuse $500,000 into the federal Weed and Seed program, which has been lauded for reducing crime in troubled neighborhoods, cleared a hurdle in the state Legislature yesterday.
The Senate Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee approved Senate Bill 3048, which makes a $500,000 state grant to the federally financed program. Under the amended bill, the money would go to the state attorney general's office to expand the program, which is running out of money.
The committee's action comes after it received overwhelming public testimony last week supporting the bill. Community members, law enforcement officials and others said the program has successfully helped to rebuild neighborhoods into safe communities and needs financial support to continue.
The bill now goes to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for further review.
House Bill 2976, a similar measure that also appropriates $500,000 to Weed and Seed, was approved by the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday.
The Weed and Seed program combines community efforts and tough legal penalties to "weed out" crime, then uses crime prevention, intervention, treatment and neighborhood revitalization to "seed" a safer community.
Statistics show major crimes have dropped in two of the three O'ahu Weed and Seed areas, Kalihi/Palama /Chinatown and Waipahu. Officials say it's too early to tell whether the newest site, 'Ewa Beach, will have similar improvements.
Waipahu is the only Weed and Seed site in Hawai'i to receive federal money for this year. Sites can receive as much as $175,000 in federal money each year to cover costs that include police overtime, surveillance equipment, drug prevention programs and youth activities.
Hawai'i Weed and Seed executive director Maile Kanemaru has said the communities of Wai'anae and Pahoa have applied to be designated Weed and Seed sites, but that Wai'anae would not be eligible for federal financing because there are three designated sites on O'ahu.
She said Big Island officials have developed a strategy to pay for the program if it does not receive federal money.
Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.
