LOST POTENTIAL

Find, Fix Problems With Weed And Seed

The U.S. Justice Department's decision to deny certification and funding of
Greenville's Weed and Seed program suggests profound problems in the local
application of that crime-fighting initiative. The facts appear to bear
that out.

Those problems must be found and fixed. Putting Weed and Seed's principles
to the best use in troubled Greenville neighborhoods should remain the
focus as the city and the organization's steering committee sort through
what has gone wrong.

Greenville was funded by the Justice Department as a Weed and Seed site in
1997 to address persistent crime and neighborhood decay in west Greenville.
The 17-member steering committee that administers the program locally
operates as part of the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

During an October visit, the Justice Department found 14 deficiencies in
the local program's certification application, earning Greenville
unsatisfactory marks in all four categories the department evaluates. That
disappointing assessment led to the loss of certification and federal funding.

The warning signs were present before October. Each year since 1997, the
program has failed to spend its allotted federal funding. In June, a
consultant's report called Greenville's administrators "too narrowly
focused" and claimed members' roles lacked clarity. The report also
suggested Weed and Seed's support should extend beyond the programs offered
from the current Safe Haven site, where the program is headquartered.

The reasons for this pattern of disarray are not entirely clear.
Administrators and key steering committee members have not been willing to
discuss the problems. However, the June report suggests steering committee
members have failed to inform city residents about the program's benefits,
or to build strong relationships within the group and with city officials
who can help accomplish their goals.

Neither have they successfully made the case that improving the situation
in west Greenville aids the entire city. All of those failures specifically
hurt those citizens who most need the city's attention and compassion.

The neighborhoods targeted by the Weed and Seed program have long struggled
with high crime, drug use, violence, unemployment and a lack of
opportunity. Bringing federal funding to bear on these problems offers hope
for safety and security in homes and on the streets in those communities.
Weed and Seed brings the attention those problems warrant and delivers
assistance that can make a difference.

The loss of funding is a direct threat. The program can reapply for
certification by Oct. 31. But first, Weed and Seed's steering committee and
city officials must address the program's flaws in an open and cooperative
way. They must address the issues of accountability, direction and
communication raised by the Justice Department report. And they must
heighten understanding of the fact that disproportionate crime in west
Greenville is a problem for all citizens.

The premise of Weed and Seed holds enormous potential. It offers a
structured and constructive way to help residents, and its success should
be a community commitment.