GRANT AIMS TO FIGHT CRIME LOCALLY

A $175,000 grant will help launch a program aimed at reducing crime and
revitalizing the Mechanicville community of east Houma.

The grant from the U.S. Justice Department will go toward the Weed and Seed
program, which will assist local government in helping to rebuild the
mostly low-income African-American neighborhood.

The program's four major components include stepped-up law enforcement,
community policing, intervention and drug-treatment programs and
neighborhood revitalization.

Jim Letten, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, said
his office will "participate actively in the implementation of the Weed and
Seed strategy."

Terrebonne was officially recognized as a Weed and Seed site in 2001.

Terrebonne Parish President Bobby Bergeron said he is excited about the
grant and the future prospects for the neighborhood.

"The Mechanicville community is filled with a solid base of decent,
law-abiding people who make up the fabric of a good community," Bergeron
said. "The Weed and Seed program will help the citizens overcome
difficulties and bring in the resources they need. This community-wide
effort will have a lasting impact."

Letten said $125,000 will be used for "seeding" activities, such as
after-school and summer programs for youth. The other $50,000 will go to
the Houma Police for joint law-enforcement operations with the Justice
Department.

The $175,000 figure for 2002 is the maximum amount for a first-year
program. Next year, the program will be eligible for a $225,000 grant.

The program is a vital part of the Justice Department's anti-violence
efforts designed to reduce crime and rebuild troubled neighborhoods. It
started in 1991 in 10 cities and is now active in more than 250 communities.

It is designed to "weed" out violent crime and illegal drugs and then
"seed" the area with public and private resources to help empower the
community and improve its quality of life.

Last year, a local steering committee of residents, ministers, educators
and public officials developed a strategy for the program in Mechanicville.
The committee included Bergeron, Terrebonne Parish Council members Alvin
Tillman and Wayne Thibodeaux and Houma Police Chief Pat Boudreaux.

Boudreaux said some of the $50,000 law-enforcement portion will pay for
police overtime and the salary of a Weed and Seed officer assigned to the
area and the program. Sgt. Bobbie O'Bryan has already started work as the
Weed and Seed officer.

"We couldn't wait until the funding was available," Boudreaux said.

Specific problems Boudreaux hopes to address include juvenile crime, drug
dealing and prostitution.

Residents will see a more visible police presence nearly immediately,
Boudreaux said.

The program is the eighth in Louisiana; the closest is in Raceland.

"That program has been very successful and inspired Terrebonne Parish's
interest," said Hattie Broussard, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department
in New Orleans.

Other areas with programs include the Treme, Bywater, Algiers and Central
City areas of New Orleans. The Tallowtree area of Jefferson Parish and two
neighborhoods in Shreveport are also involved.