Authorizing the US Attorney to Submit an Application - Weed & Seed

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FY 2008 WEED AND SEED COMMUNITIES APPLICATION , ~~ ~f p, {~~° ~,(, Research and other information that supports the selection of the Weed and Seed target location, criminal and social problem activities-including community perceptions: There is quantifiable crime and social data supporting the selection of the proposed site as the Weed & Seed target location, as well as qualitative/anecdotal observations made by residents of the area. For the sake of comparison, the population of the proposed site is approximately 12 percent of the city population; housings units within the proposed site are approximately 14 percent of all residential units in the city. Crime Problems The Uniform Crime Report filed by the South Bend- Police Department reveals for the period 2003-2006: • 29.9% of all South Bend weapons violations occurred in the proposed area 27% of all homicides 26% of all drug violations 26% of all arsons • 21.6% of all disorderly conduct arrests • 19% of all robberies 17.9% of all aggravated assaults 17.8% of all rapes See Attached Maps "Calls for Service" 2004-2006 III C-1-9 ]uvenile Crime Citywide, juvenile arrests declined by 14.3% between 2004 and 2006. But in the proposed site during that same period, juvenile arrests increased almost 5%. Social Problems Many social problems that create a climate conducive to social disorder and crime are prevalent in the proposed area. Poverty (2000 Census) o Citywide: 17% o Proposed site: 26% • At Muessel Elementary School in the proposed area, 86% of students qualify for a free lunch. (2006, South Bend Community School Corporation) Low educational attainment (2000 Census) 0 35.5% of youth 16-19 years old in the proposed area are not enrolled in school. • Unemployment (2000 census) o Citywide: 5% a Proposed site: 13% Housing abandonment (2007, Dept of Code Enforcement) 0 31.1% of all vacant and abandoned housing units in the city lie within the proposed area. o From 2004 to 2006 in South Bend, Sheriff Sales increased by 8.9%. o From 2004 to 2006 in the proposed area, Sheriff Sales increased by 24.7%. F:\DATA\SHARE\DPND\Weed&Seed\2008 Application\2008 Application\Final format for application.doc 7