NCJ Number
138576
Date Published
1990
Length
26 pages
Annotation
New York State public housing managers were sent questionnaires that asked about their perception of drug and drug-related problems in their housing developments.
Abstract
Questionnaires were received from 220 middle-income developments and 512 public housing projects. Managers were asked whether or not they believed there was illegal drug use anywhere in the development and whether they believed there was illegal drug dealing anywhere in the development. Almost all of the drug use and drug dealing were reported for family projects (those with no age or staff housing restrictions). Of these family projects, there were higher proportions of reported drug use and drug dealing in rentals than in co-ops, in downstate-area projects than in upstate ones, and in larger projects (over 300 units) than in smaller ones. Drug dealing was observed earliest in large public housing projects downstate and next in large middle- income developments downstate. Reasons given most often for no drug dealing in family projects were no major influx of drugs in the area, security guards, and police activity. The three drugs mentioned most often in complaints about drug dealing were, in order of frequency, crack, cocaine, and marijuana. There was more increase than decrease reported for vandalism and loitering, which are often related to drug problems. Thirty-six percent of the managers of family projects reported that vandalism and loitering had increased from 1988 to 1989, and no more than 10 percent believed these had decreased. For all projects, the crime prevention measures implemented most often were liaison with local police (59 percent) and locked entrances (50 percent). Measures believed to be most effective in projects that implemented them were electronic surveillance, window gates, and locked entrances. The drugs mentioned most often in complaints about drug dealing were, in order of frequency, crack, cocaine, and marijuana. 16 tables and questionnaire form