Illegal drugs and alcohol issues that spawn crime are the targets of a Pennsylvania initiative that could take root in three sprawling Oil City neighborhoods.

A large diverse group turned out to hear a progress report on the city's efforts to pull in a multi-year and well-funded Weed-and-Seed program targeted at Siverly, the East End and much of the North Side neighborhood. In December, the city was chosen as one of only a handful of communities in the state to receive a $5,000 planning grant aimed at devising a plan of action to "weed out" crime and blight and "seed in" safety and revitalization programs in specified neighborhoods.

To that end, a committee led by city police Chief Bob Wenner has compiled information that it hopes will snag a full-blown Weed-and-Seed project, one that includes money to beef up the police department and hire a professional to coordinate a wide array of social and law enforcement services aimed at rejuvenating the neighborhoods.

"The goal is to control criminal activity through a comprehensive and coordinated effort and to improve the quality of life in a targeted area," Mayor Sonja Hawkins told the group.

Drugs and alcohol are key issues in the degradation of neighborhoods, said Karen Wenner, a staff member in Venango County's shared municipal services/planning department. They account for 80 percent of the city's police calls, she said.

Other major problems include city poverty and unemployment rates higher than the state and national averages. The poverty issue is discernible in numerous ways, she said, including the fact that "42 percent of children receive medical (insurance) assistance in Venango County."

"That's why everyone is here tonight, because of these problems and our concerns about our quality of life," Wenner said.

A positive side

There are positive signs, though, she emphasized.

"We have huge community support, as shown by our neighborhood associations. Many social services have agreed to partner with Oil City and Weed-and-Seed to supply services to the targeted areas. The school district has given a commitment to help dropouts get their GEDs and to allow the use of their facilities for that. Oil City Council and the police department have committed to the target areas with additional policing and additional programs," she said.

Rev. Christopher Hill, pastor of the Free Methodist Church in Oil City, outlined high points of a survey taken by the Weed-and-Seed committee. The responses, he said, show "a lot of hopefulness in the city � people have not given up."

Those numbers include 63 percent who replied they felt their neighborhoods were excellent or good. Most responders answered that they felt there was adequate police protection and they felt safe in their communities.

Hill said the survey identified drugs as the number one issue, followed by blight as second and juvenile crime as third.

"We aren't forgetting the other issues but when Weed-and-Seed begins to deal with the big issues, it will have a ripple effect and help take care of those other issues," Hill said.

The target areas

Explaining why the three locations were chosen as target areas, Chief Wenner said they are "the focal point of gang and drug activities for most of Oil City and they continue to be problem areas in dealing with drugs and other major crime calls."

The locations also claim a large number of condemned or abandoned houses, a large percentage of rental houses that have gone into disrepair and the highest number of vacant business sites, he said.

Rather than addressing only the crime issues, the state initiative digs deeper because it calls into play numerous services to deal with causes and not just symptoms, Wenner said.

"We have to address the victims of the crimes, the abused children and the drug addicts," he said. "We will sign memorandums of understanding with our partners (including the county and city, district attorney's office, neighborhood associations, health and social service agencies and others) and those will be serious commitments of what they will do in those target areas. We want a stepped up, quicker response."

'Shows optimism'

The volunteer committee efforts to win a state grant drew high praise from a 17-year veteran of the state's Weed-and-Seed initiative.

"I haven't seen an initial group like this ever," said Stephen Chatman, a coordinator for the Erie Weed-and-Weed project. "It shows optimism and that you still think your town is a great place to live."

Serving with Hawkins, the Wenners and Hill on the core committee are Marie Veon, district attorney; Venice Lewis, president of the North Side Neighborhood Association; Leah Gesing, president of the South Side Neighborhood Association; and Martha Motter, president of the Siverly Neighborhood Association.

While optimistic the city will be awarded a full-scale grant, the police chief told the group, "If we don't get it, we'll work with this plan ourselves. It didn't cost us anything but time."

The city must file the application by May 22. Two communities in Pennsylvania will be chosen for the funding.