NCJ Number
157851
Journal
Contemporary Policy Issues Volume: 9 Dated: (October 1991) Pages: 106- 115
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the relationship between drug policies, drug law enforcement, and property crime in Florida in 1986-87 concludes that the reallocations of police resources toward drug law enforcement has led to increases in property crime.
Abstract
Some proponents of the law enforcement emphasis on controlling illicit drug markets contend that drug users attempting to finance their habits often are responsible for property crime. However, in Florida, the increased effort to control drug markets has been accompanied by increasing property crime. Law enforcement resources are scarce; many resources that are now being devoted to enforcing drug laws have been shifted away from enforcing laws relating to other crimes such as property crimes. This reallocation of resources has reduced deterrence for property crime; as a result, such crime has increased. Thus, a crime control policy focusing on drug law offenses will not simultaneously serve as an effective means of controlling property crime. If controlling property crime is a primary goal of the drug law enforcement effort, then authorities should allocate resources to focus directly on controlling property crime. This strategy might have a significant impact on the level of drug use as well by reducing drug users' expected income from property crimes, reduce the commission of such crimes, and thus reduce the demand for drugs. Table, footnotes, and 32 references (Author abstract modified)