Neighborhood Crime Victimization, Drug use and Drug Sales: Results from the “Fighting Back” Evaluation

Abstract

A fundamental premise of the “Fighting Back” program was the existence of a direct causal relationship between drug use and crime. Using data from the evaluation of the program and spatial hierarchical models, we examine whether drug use and the presence of visible drug sales lead to elevated levels of three types of crime: assault, burglary, and theft. Our analysis controls for neighborhood disadvantage, racial and Hispanic concentration, percent renter occupied, and population density. For crime victimization rates by neighborhood, we find that for burglary, neighborhood disadvantage, the presence of visible drug sales, and drug use are related to victimization. None of the control variables demonstrate a significant impact on burglary victimization. For assault, only neighborhood disadvantage and visible drug sales are statistically significant, and for theft, only visible drug sales influence the rate of criminal activity. Considering the Fighting Back intervention, there are no differences in changing crime patterns of reported burglary, assault, and theft from 1983 through 1995 and no differences in the pattern of changing crime victimization rates for 1997 to 1999 between the Fighting Back and comparison sites. Possible reasons for the lack of effects of drug use prevention programs in crime reduction and possible alternative strategies are also discussed.