STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2175

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2852

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2852 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WEED AND SEED STRATEGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds as a grant to Weed and Seed Hawaii to maintain the weed and seed program, which is a collaborative effort to prevent crime and rebuild communities in targeted areas.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Maui; Maui Police Department; Honolulu Police Department; Filipino Community Center, Inc.; Gentry Homes, Ltd.; HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union; Waipahu Community Coalition; and fourteen individuals.

Your Committee finds that the United States Department of Justice's weed and seed strategy is a proven strategy for preventing, controlling, and reducing violent crime and drug abuse. The strategy calls for local law enforcement to "weed out" the criminal element in neighborhoods then for public agencies and private entities to work together to "seed" the communities with human services that include prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood revitalization. The strategy has been implemented successfully in the Kalihi-Palama and Chinatown areas of downtown Honolulu as well as Waipahu and Ewa/Ewa Beach. Accordingly, this measure appropriates $400,000 as a grant to Weed and Seed Hawaii to maintain the weed and seed program.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2852 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair