The Drug Market Intervention Approach to Overt Drug Markets

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of a strategic intervention intended to eliminate overt drug markets and their associated crime and disorder and to improve relationships between the police and local neighborhood residents. Design/Methods/Approach: The study included a process assessment of the nature of the intervention as well as an impact assessment based on trends in crime, calls-for-police-service and interviews with residents. The research occurred in the U.S. and examined a pilot program in High Point, North Carolina and subsequent implementation in Rockford, Illinois and Nashville, Tennessee. Findings: The paper presents a description of the intervention. Additionally, outcome data indicate that the intervention was related to reductions in crime and calls-forpolice service in all three communities. Raw declines were observed for violent, property and drug offenses with the declines consistently being statistically significant for drug offenses. Additionally, local residents described improved quality of neighborhood life and increased satisfaction with the police. Research limitations/implications: The results suggest that the so-called High Point Drug Market Intervention holds significant promise for addressing overt drug markets. However, the analysis is limited in that the comparison group is the citywide trend in crime as opposed to true comparison sites. Future studies utilizing quasi-experimental or experimental designs are needed to rule out potential rival explanations. Practical implications: The Drug Market Intervention appears to be a promising practice offering police officials a strategy for longer term impact on neighborhood safety and quality of life than has been the case with traditional crackdowns on drug markets. Originality/Value: This paper offers the evaluation results from three sites on a drug market intervention that has gained considerable attention, at least within the U.S.