165.982 Weed and seed project grants.
(1) The department of justice may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (dg) to any eligible city whose plan for the expenditure of funds is approved. The grant shall be used to carry out a comprehensive, multi-agency “weed and seed" project to restore safety and vitality to a targeted neighborhood that suffers from high levels of violent and drug-related crime. The grant moneys that a city receives under this section may not supplant existing local resources. A plan submitted for approval shall specify a strategy to achieve the goals of the grant and must include a concerted law enforcement effort to curb drug trafficking and related crime, a decentralized law enforcement and crime prevention effort in a targeted neighborhood, and a coordinated, community-based effort to strengthen the neighborhood's social base and revitalize the neighborhood. The department of justice, with the concurrence of the department of health services, shall develop criteria which, notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1), need not be promulgated as rules under ch. 227, for use in awarding grants under this section. The department of justice and department of health services shall jointly review any proposed plan and approve those plans that meet the criteria.
(2) To be eligible for the grant, a plan shall include all of the following:
(a) Oversight of the project by the mayor's office or by a steering committee appointed by the mayor.
(b) Written support by the chief of police and the superintendent of the school district.
(c) A law enforcement coordinating committee and a neighborhood revitalization coordinating committee to plan and implement project activities.
(3) The proposed site for the use of a grant shall be an identifiable neighborhood with high violent crime and drug arrest rates. The neighborhood shall have experience in neighborhood planning and organizing or, in lieu thereof, evidence shall be provided that such planning and organizing efforts would be supported by, and would be effective in, the neighborhood.
(4) Grant recipients shall provide a 25 percent match in funds or in-kind services. Grants shall be awarded for 3-year periods.
(5) The department of justice and the department of health services shall provide training and technical assistance to grant recipients. Both departments shall work with the steering committees and coordinating committees of the projects and participate in planning and implementing project initiatives as appropriate.
(6) A city shall submit a proposed plan for a grant under this section so that the plan is received by the department of justice on or before July 15, 1994.
History: 1993 a. 193; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19); 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a).