Granville Simmons, was hired as the City of Burlington’s Weed and Seed Coordinator through the Burlington Police Department. Weed & Seed is a Federal initiative that strives to weed out crime in a designated area of the City and plant the seeds of social redevelopment within the area through various partnerships and committees addressing the issues of the area. Granville, will serve as the main coordinator of the program by following the initiatives and strategies developed under the Weed & Seed application.
Granville comes to the City from the Virgin Islands. However, for the past seven years he has called Alamance County home. During that time he has contributed to the Alamance/Burlington community as an instructor at Alamance Community College and Elon University. He also worked at Elon Homes for Children in both teaching and administrative roles. He is a graduate of Stanford and Howard Universities where among other interest’s, he studied public policy and public administration.
Future outcomes
With reference to the future outcomes of the Weed and Seed initiative, Granville quotes the mission statement:
“Through the empowerment of its citizens and by its citizens, [East Burlington] seeks to coordinate and maximize federal, state and local resources, both public and private, to reduce crime and improve the quality of life … and work as an investment in the City of Burlington’s future.”
In keeping with this mission, Granville envisions a dynamic partnership of private individuals and organizations (within and outside East Burlington), accompanied by public sector services that is strategically positioned to leverage the maximum amount of resources for the following five areas of community engagement: Law Enforcement, Community Policing, Prevention/Intervention/Treatment and Neighborhood Restoration. Progress will be noted in an increased police presence, as well as a Safe Haven and other safe sites for the youth, and more educational and job training opportunities in the designated area. Like so many other residents of Burlington, Granville has a strong desire to serve the community.