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Program OverviewFounded in 1972 by those concerned with the futureof the South Bronx, the South Bronx OverallEconomic Development Corporation (SOBRO) haslong pursued a simple mission: reverse the flightof businesses, jobs, and opportunities from thismost challenged community. Doing so in the bestof climates is difficult, but in an atmosphere ofheightened insecurity and intense fear, the task isvastly more challenging. In an effort to build uponits core activities and improve its chances of dis-mantling the obstacles to redeveloping the SouthBronx, in 2001, SOBRO turned to the JusticeDepartment, its Weed and Seed program, and to theNYPD. The idea was simple - begin to addressmyriad issues of public safety and pervasive disor-der in an attempt to create a stronger backdropagainst which the organization could play out itseconomic development strategies.

Finding kindred at the Executive Office of Weedand Seed and within the leadership of the NYPD's40th Precinct, SOBRO spearheaded a campaignwhich competed successfully for Weed and Seeddesignation, crafted a comprehensive partnershipwith its counterparts in the law enforcement com-munity, and began to implement a public safetyprogram with organizations and motivated individ-uals typically outside the redevelopment process.

The Problem and BackgroundBy almost any standard, the South Bronx is home tosome of America's most disadvantaged residents,59% of whom are Latino, 36% African-American.For several decades, this community has containedthe poorest Congressional District (16th) in theUnited States -- a dubious distinction reconfirmedby the 2000 Census. More than half of its residentslive in poverty. Data from the New York CityDepartment of Human Resources reveals that 35%of all South Bronx residents are dependent on pub-lic assistance -- almost three times New York City'soverall rate of 11%, and higher than any otherneighborhood in the City. One corollary to the epi-demic welfare dependency in the South Bronx iswidespread unemployment. While unemploymentrates are not collected separately for the SouthBronx, the 2000 Census revealed that the Bronx as awhole suffers from unemployment rates approxi-mately 10 higher than New York City's already highoverall (by state and national standards) level.Complicating matters further, since September 11,

MOTT HAVEN WEED & SEED

WINNING PROGRAMMott Haven Weed & Seed

APPLICANTSouth Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation

TARGET AREAMott Haven neighborhoodBronx, NY

INCEPTION DATE2001

KEY PARTNERSA Better Bronx for YouthBronx District Attorney's OfficeCommunity Board 1Community ResidentsE.138th Merchant's AssociationHealth First New York Assembly Woman Carmen ArroyoNew York City Parks DepartmentSouth Bronx Overall Economic

Development Corporation New York City Police Department

40th Precinct Community CouncilNew York Public School 30Nos QuedamosSt. Ann's ChurchU.S. Attorney's Office

FUNDERSUS Department of Justice (EOWS)

COMMUNITY CONTACTJanis WassermanVice President of DevelopmentSOBRO370 East 149th StreetBronx, NY 10455p. 718.292.3113 x250f. 718.292.3115e. jwasserman@sobro.org

POLICE CONTACTAlex Diaz, President40th Precinct NYPD Community Council370 East 149th StreetBronx, NY 10455p 718.402-2283

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NYC has lost well over 100,000 jobs, many of themonce held by South Bronx residents. These dismalstatistics are coupled with crime rates higher thanmost other areas of New York City, a condition thatfurther exacerbates the host of other social problemsin the South Bronx and hampers meaningful com-munity development efforts.

The Response: Program Strategy & ActivityOrganizing A Wide Network of Partners: At itscore, the community-police partnership with theNYPD's 40th Precinct Community Council isdesigned to increase neighborhood participation incommunity development and public safety initia-tives in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the SouthBronx. A critical element of this partnership is thearray of stakeholders the partnership has brought tothe table. These include representatives of: lawenforcement (the 40th Precinct, the Bronx DistrictAttorney's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office); com-munity organizations (SOBRO, Nos Quedamos, ABetter Bronx for Youth, E.138th Merchant'sAssociation, St. Ann's Church, Health First); publicofficials and institutions (Community Board 1'sYouth Committee, NYS Assembly Woman CarmenArroyo, NYC Parks Department, Public School 30);and community residents (who attend monthlymeetings to voice their opinions and who - if theyattend a minimum of three times - may vote on whois represented by the Community Council). Thepurpose of bringing together this range of commu-nity forces is to create an overlapping web of rela-tionships so that community development and pub-lic safety initiatives are carried out as part of a com-prehensive, coordinated and coherent strategy, andin so doing, to increase both their effectiveness andthe partnership's ability to sustain its achievements.

Creating a Structure for Exchange: At the core ofthe partnership's approach is the monthly meetingof the Community Council's Executive Council andthe monthly public meetings of the CommunityCouncil. These gatherings have been a crucialbridge between the police department, local com-munity-based organizations, and the community.The exchange of ideas and information has been atthe core of the success of the community develop-ment and public safety efforts undertaken throughthe partnership. At the meetings, community mem-bers have overcome their distrust of the police andhelped to prevent crime by providing vital informa-tion- where drug dealers hide their product, forexample, or where increased police presence is nec-essary. At the same time, the meetings have helpedthe police to appreciate the importance of relying

on the community as the eyes and ears of the streetand in providing them critical crime-related information.

Building A Trusting Community: The partnershiphas implemented highly visible and effective publicsafety and community building events that demon-strate the positive collaboration between the com-munity and the police. The on-going Calendar ofCommunity Events program (discussed below) notonly enhances the quality of life and promotesneighborhood safety and revitalization, but also

offers evidence that through collective action, thecommunity and police can work together in devel-oping and implementing creative solutions to crime.

Informing the Development Process: The partner-ship integrates public safety concerns into SOBRO'scommunity development projects. As one of thelargest community development agencies in theSouth Bronx, SOBRO has the ability to engage inlarge scale community revitalization. Soliciting andincorporating police support and input in the plan-ning and implementation of these developmentprojects has been a key characteristic of the partnership.

Activity: The following represents an overview ofthe many activities through which the 40th PrecinctCommunity Council has pursued its collectivegoals.

James Commey, US Attorney Southern District ofNY, addressess attendees at the 40th PrecinctCommunity Council Fellowship Breakfast. Thisevent honors the spirit of fellowship amongstcommunity members, merchants, CBO's, faithbased groups, the 40th Precinct CommunityCouncil, and the NYPD 40th Precinct.

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Monthly Community Forum: The CommunityCouncil meets on the first Wednesday of eachmonth. The meetings are well-publicized through-out the Mott Haven neighborhood and invite localresidents to attend and learn about crime preven-tion and community development activities and toencourage them to express their concerns and ideasto the Council and police. At the meeting, membersof the Executive Council (who meet on the firstMonday of each month) present updates on theirpublic safety and community development efforts,including a summary of the month's crime activitiesin the precinct. Next, other community organiza-tions that do not serve directly on ExecutiveCouncil make presentations on their activities orexpress public safety concerns. Finally, communityresidents ask questions regarding public safety andplanned community development activities. Onaverage, 65 people attend each Community Councilmeeting.

Public Safety Forum: Annually, SOBRO/Weed &Seed and the 40th Precinct Community Councilhold a Public Safety Forum distinct from theCommunity Council meetings. The discussion isfocused solely on public safety issues, and the com-munity is invited to hear from and to speak to rep-resentatives from all the policing agencies in theircommunity - NYC Housing Authority Police, theMetropolitan Transit Authority police, the DistrictAttorney's office, and the 40th Precinct.

Safe-Haven at P.S.30: Last year, the partnershipcollaborated to create a neighborhood "safe-haven"multi-resource center. The Safe Haven at a publicelementary school has two full-time staff memberswho provide services including: a job-club to helpfind employment for residents; an after school pro-gram located at the school; referrals to employmenttraining, social services, and youth programs avail-able through SOBRO or other CBOs; and a nutritioneducation and food budgeting program.

Community Space Clean-up: The SOBRO/Weed &Seed program and the Community Council eachyear designate a community clean-up site. Councilmembers and community volunteers clean up pub-lic spaces and return them to public use. This year,the partners focused on a vacant lot next to a pre-school program, making it available for the studentsas a safe out-door play space.

National Night Out Against Crime: Each year, thepartnership organizes the community to spend onenight outside to confront the fear that law-abidingresidents feel at night. On this evening, police pro-

vide protection; CBOs inform their community ofthe event, and the partnership provides tee-shirts,glow-sticks, and information about public safety.The event helps heighten crime and drug preven-tion awareness, generates support for and participa-tion in community events, strengthens neighbor-hood spirit, and enhances the sense of collectiveefficacy. The gathering of stakeholders and theirgrowing sense of collective security sends a clearmessage to criminals that the neighborhood isorganized and fighting back.

Safe Night: As with the Night Out Against Crime,each summer the partnership organizes a SafeNight for children in St. Mary's Park. Held in con-junction with the NYC Parks Department, theFriends of St. Mary's Park, and Community Board1's Youth Committee, the evening includes enter-tainment, information booths, and recreationalactivities.

Summer Play Street: Each year, the partnershipsponsors a 9-week (9a.m.-5p.m., 7 days a week)Summer Play Street that provides a safe, traffic-freeenvironment in which to enjoy structured activitiesunder the protection of local police officers.Funding for this effort comes from Weed & Seedand the Police Athletic League. This year, the pro-gram served approximately 70 youth daily.

Summer Day Camp and Year-around MentoringProgram: As part of the Department of Justice'sDrug Education for Youth (DEFY) program, 40young people receive mentoring from volunteer

Members of the 40th Precinct Explorers Unit meetwith area residents and merchants as part ofOperation Leaflet 2002, a public educationinitiative that provides information on crimeprevention, gun control, and hotlines for truancyand quality of life complaints.

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criminal justice and public safety professionals.During the summer, the youth and their mentorsspend two weeks together in a day-camp just out-side of New York City, and then meet once a monththroughout the year to plan and execute communityclean-up actions.

Third Avenue BID - Back to School Event: Buildingon SOBRO's strong relationship with the 3rdAvenue Business Improvement District (BID), thepartnership arranged for a "back-to-school" daywhere students were given free school materialsand discounts on other items. The goal was toencourage students to attend school and to foster apositive relationship between local merchants andyouth.

Fellowship Breakfast: Each year, the partnershipsponsors a Fellowship Breakfast at HostosCommunity College where active community mem-bers and the police attend an awards ceremony andnetwork with others concerned with communityimprovement. This year the breakfast drew 150 participants.

Safe Streets & Treats (Halloween): In another part-nership between community organizations, mer-chants, and the police, each year the partnershipsponsors a Halloween event on E.138th Street. Forthree evening hours, the police provide protectionwhile area youth trick-or-treat among businessesalong the corridor. Community groups organizeresidents to attend the event.

Holiday Dinner: As one of two holiday toy-driveevents, members of the Community Council attenda holiday dinner and bring toys for needy children.The dinner fosters continued communication andtrust between law enforcement and local organiza-tions active in the community.

Holiday Toy Drive: Like the Holiday Dinner, theToy Drive procures gifts for children and brings res-idents, community organizations, and the policetogether in a positive, constructive atmosphere.

Meet & Greet: To help decrease suspicion andincrease communication between police and busi-nesses, the partnership enlisted SOBRO'sCommercial Revitalization department to introducebeat officers to local merchants.

Program ImpactIn 2001, hundreds of children, teenagers and fami-lies participated in this partnership's communityevents, taking advantage of the increased safety theproject offers. SOBRO/Weed & Seed and the 40thPrecinct Community Council have worked togetherto increase visibility of community and police spon-sored initiatives.

Public Safety Impact: As the partnership has beenin existence for only one year, it is too early to con-clude that its efforts are the primary cause of crimereduction in the community. However, crime ratesin most key indicators decreased during the pro-ject's first year; and although direct causality isimpossible to prove, anecdotal evidence suggeststhe partnership's work has had an importantimpact. For example, there are many instances inwhich the information provided to the police byresidents through the Community Council meetingsled directly to arrests. Further, the increased trustbetween community stakeholders and the police,and the message being sent to criminals that thecommunity and police are united in opposition tothem, has had a palpable affect on both the realityand perception of safety in Mott Haven. In thefuture, documentation to more conclusively quanti-fy the impact of the partnership's activities on crimereduction is planned.

Community Building and Development Impact: The SOBRO/Weed & Seed and Community Councilpartnership has provided a crucial missing linkbetween community development activities andcrime and fear in the neighborhood. Like manycommunity organizations, SOBRO's developmentdepartment had little connection to local police, nor

At the annual Safe Streets & Treats event held on138th Street, police of the 40th Precinct partnerwith youth and their families, the 40th PrecinctCommunity Council, SOBRO/Mott Haven OperationWeed & Seed, and the 138th Street MerchantsAssociation.

did the agency take into account public safety whenplanning and designing community developments.The partnership has transformed SOBRO's thinkingabout how community development and publicsafety reinforce each other; and the revitalizationprojects that have resulted from this new thinkingare undeniably stronger.

Redevelopment of E.138th Street: SOBRO haslaunched a major, $3.25 million commercial revital-ization project for the E.138th Street commercialcorridor to promote increased security, shopping,sales and job creation. Through the partnership,SOBRO has enlisted the police, residents, and agen-cies to shape the ultimate design of the redevelop-ment. Information about where crime is highest,where additional lighting is needed, and whereplanters and benches can be used to reclaim publicspace - to name but a few considerations - havebeen fundamental in redeveloping a commercialdistrict that promotes public safety. In turn, thenow safer, more viable project brings more peopleonto the street, increases sales, and promotes eco-nomic development within this commercial district.

Housing Anti-abandonment Project: SOBRO spon-sors a housing anti-abandonment program in theMott Haven area that focuses on identifying build-ings that are distressed or abandoned. The agencyworks with tenants and landlords to solve problemsthat make these properties vulnerable. SOBROfound that economic distress is not the only motiva-tor for landlord abandonment -- criminal activity isalso a prime reason. The partnership has nowestablished a clear procedure for enlisting the policein dealing with criminal activity (usually drug-relat-ed) that is often pervasive in these distressed build-ings. In addition, tenants are encouraged to attendthe Community Council meetings to establish linkswith police and communicate what they knowabout criminal activity in their buildings.

Housing and Small Business Incubator: The part-nership has also enabled SOBRO to obtain moredirect access to uniformed assistance when crimeundermines community development projects. Intwo housing developments - one completed, theother in development -- drug dealing in these for-merly abandoned buildings was slowing the rede-velopment process. Police worked closely with

SOBRO to stem the drug trafficking, allowing workto go forward. Similarly, during the construction ofSOBRO's 32-office, small business incubator, van-dalism and theft on the site threatened to under-mine the project. With the rapid assistance of thepolice, developers completed the project on sched-ule. Overall, the partnership between theSOBRO/Weed & Seed program and the CommunityCouncil is dramatically improving the efficiencyand efficacy of local redevelopment efforts.

Editor's NoteAlthough we believe that the 40th PrecinctCommunity Council Partnership has a way to go indocumenting and describing the real and quantifi-able impact of its work in the South Bronx, webelieve it offers tremendous promise on two explicitfronts. First, it represents a rare level of cooperation

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THEN & NOWMott Haven's Night Out Against Crime & Drugs tookplace on 153rd Street between Third Avenue &Bergen Avenue. Before the event, this building wasriddled with graffiti, broken glass, and boardedwindows. Now cleaned and painted, it is the homeof Families Reaching In Ever New Direction(F.R.I.E.N.D.S.).

1

1The completed project is Brook Avenue Gardens, 79 units ofaffordable housing created out of a historic former factorylocated at Brook Avenue and E.148th Street. The second is theGateway Building at Willis Avenue and E.149th Street, slatedfor redevelopment into 15 units of housing.

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(and we believe early indications of collaboration)with the New York Police Department - a complexorganization with a reputation for impenetrability.Second, SOBRO is a uniquely high-capacity CDCwith a development track record and access toresources that can offer the partners an extraordi-narily rich opportunity for the purposeful joint pur-suit of public safety and community development.Plans for the future (including the development ofan enhanced-services safe haven, a youth crime pre-vention initiative, the redevelopment of a high-crime abandoned gas station, among others) offeradditional evidence of the promise and potentialthis partnership has for further long-term gains inthe South Bronx.

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