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| Working with Partners to Build Safer and Stronger
Neighborhoods |
The United
States Attorney's Office has developed and implemented an
extensive network of community-based programs and initiatives,
in partnership with the community, various law enforcement
agencies and government agencies, as well as the private
sector. Through our Community Prosecution efforts and by
working together with others, we can help coordinate
resources, increase quality of life in our neighborhoods and
enhance public safety for the residents of the District of
Columbia.
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Weed and
Seed is a comprehensive, multi-agency strategy that
seeks to weed out violent crime, gang activity, drug
trafficking and drug use in targeted neighborhoods and
then seed the target areas by restoring them through
social and economic revitalization. The District of
Columbia Weed and Seed sites include: Carver Langston,
Marshall Heights/ Eastgate, Ivy City/Trinidad, North
Capitol, Congress Heights and Columbia
Heights.
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The
District of Columbia has over 50 public housing
facilities dispersed throughout the City. These units
are owned and maintained by the D.C. Housing Authority.
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While the objective of public housing is to
provide safe rental housing for eligible, low income
families, some public housing complexes have become
infested with violent crime and open air drug markets,
thus impacting the safety and quality of life of the
public housing residents as well as citizens who reside
in nearby neighborhoods.
To combat this problem,
the Housing Authority, the U.S. Attorney's Office and
the Metropolitan Police Department instituted Operation
Fightback. If a public housing resident commits a
violent crime or serious narcotics offense, the tenant may be evicted from pubic
housing.
Today, the U.S. Attorney's Office and
MPD refer criminal activities by public housing
residents directly to the Housing Authority for review.
As a result of enhanced communications over the past
year, the number of Fightback cases processed by the
Housing Authority has increased signifanctlt. As a result of this
partnership, residents are aware that they will be held
accountable for their actions, ultimately creating a
more safe and secure environment for the residents of
public housing communities across our City.
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Our
Community Prosecution staff serves as a liaison between
the U.S. Attorney's Office and government agencies and
private organizations. They work closely with local
District of Columbia government agencies through the
Mayors Office of Neighborhood Services.
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| The Community Prosecution staff represents the
U.S. Attorney's Office on the CORE Team, which meets
weekly to coordinate the delivery of City services, and
includes such agencies as the Metropolitan Police
Department, Public Works, Health, the DC Housing
Authority, Parks & Recreation, Public Schools and
others. The CORE Team is designed to ensure the
necessary resources are dedicated to clean up our
streets and prevent environmental conditions that
promote crime. Together, these agencies work
aggressively to address quality of life issues,
including abandoned cars, nuisance properties, trash,
abandoned buildings, health concerns, street lighting
and more.
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The D.C.
Bias Crimes Task Force was established in 1996 with a
view towards increasing community awareness of hate
crimes motivated by intolerance of racial, ethnic,
gender, cultural and religious differences. The Task
Force is chaired by the United States Attorney and
includes representatives from federal and local law
enforcement as well as interested community
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The goal of the Task Force is to provide
assistance to the victims of hate crimes, bring those
responsible for bias-related crimes to justice, and
strengthen the partnership between law enforcement and
the community in preventing and responding to hate
crimes. We seek to achieve these goals through outreach
and education. Specifically, the Task Force offers
training to federal and local law enforcement officers
on the applicable hate crimes statutes as well as the
identification and investigation of such
crimes.
At the same time, the Task Force seeks to
educate the participating communities that potentially
may be targeted for hate crimes about applicable hate
crime legislation, procedures for reporting bias-related
incidents, and victim assistance resources. Most
importantly, we seek to impress upon the community the
need to diligently report such crimes. We are available
to address your community group.
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Refuge of Hope, a non-profit,
community-based outreach organization, established
the Refuge of Hope Disciple Center. The center
provides numerous services to the community
including crisis intervention counseling for youth
and their families, life skills training and
education, after school youth programs, and a food
pantry and clothing bank for the displaced,
homeless, and the elderly.
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Before the property, just off of North
Capitol Street, was occupied by Refuge of Hope, it
was used by the notorious P Street Crew, infusing
the community with drugs and violence. The U.S.
Attorneys Office worked with local residents and
city agencies to solve this problem. Gang members
were prosecuted and the property was officially
deemed a public nuisance, shut down and then
forfeited to the government. Shortly thereafter,
the property was conveyed to the Refuge of
Hope.
The Center, under the leadership of
Drs. Charles and Judy Farmer, serves as a model
outreach communitycenter. As Refuge of Hope
Disciple Center moves forward in completing
renovations, their services will expand to include
room and board for the homeless, emergency shelter
for victims of domestic violence and their
children, a soup kitchen and numerous other
services. The U.S. Attorney's Office works
regularly with the Center, which is located in a
Weed and Seed site and is designated an MPD
mini-station within the First Police District.
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