In the two years since Rockford police began focusing resources on the city's Kishwaukee Corridor "Weed and Seed" neighborhood, Chief Chet Epperson says the area is transformed.

The Department is announcing new crime statistics Tuesday night, resulting from the "Alternative Drug Program" initiative, but Chief Epperson gave us a sneak peak Monday.

The program began in the Kishwaukee area in 2007. Twelve known drug dealers in the area were taken off the streets, nine were arrested and prosecuted, three offered alternatives to reform their lives. Epperson says one of the three re-offended and was sent to jail.

The Chief says in the program's first year, crime dropped 23 percent. Then from 2008 to '09, he says the neighborhood saw another 12 percent decrease.

Epperson says the Department is committed to maintaining a presence in this area, and even starting a third weed and seed spot, despite losing several officers in recent cuts.

"We do have the resources even though we've seen a substantial cut in 2009 with our staff," says Epperson. "Our officers are doing a tremendous job in being able to sustain what we have and we're relying a lot on our citizens. Our citizens are our eyes and ears to tell us where all the drug selling and the shots fired and all the chaos is occurring."

The Kishwaukee Corridor also used to be home to the Jane Addams Housing Project and residents say tearing the projects down was another major factor bringing peace to the neighborhood.

Recently released state police statistics show Winnebago County's crime rate has climbed back to the worst in the state. But Chief Epperson says those numbers are for 2008 and he says the 2009 picture shows positive trends.