DRUG ARREST - A RESEARCH NOTE

• NCJ Number: 48371
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1975) Pages: 106-110
• Author(s): D M PETERSEN; K P SCHWIRIAN; S E BLEDA
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 5 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Ohio Dept of Economic and Community Development
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc; American Soc of Criminology
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF AGE, RACE, AND SEX ON VARIATIONS IN DRUG ARREST RATES AND IN TYPES OF DRUGS INVOLVED IN URBAN ARRESTS, DRUG-RELATED ARREST RECORDS OF THE COLUMBUS, OHIO, POLICE DEPARTMENT WERE ASSESSED.

Abstract

A TOTAL OF 2,393 DRUG-RELATED ARRESTS WERE RECORDED FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1969 THROUGH 1971. FINDINGS SHOW CONSIDERABLE VARIATION BY AGE, RACE, AND SEX CATEGORIES FOR DRUG OFFENDERS. THE ARREST RATE PER 1,000 POPULATION IS 8.1 FOR BLACKS AND 5.5 FOR WHITES. THE ARREST RATE FOR MALES IS 10 PER 1,000 AS COMPARED TO 2.2 FOR FEMALES. PEAK ARREST RATES ARE FOUND IN THE 20-TO 24-YEAR-OLD AGE GROUP, AND RATES DECREASE WITH INCREASING AGE. CROSS-TABULATIONS OF AGE, RACE, AND SEX SHOW THAT THE AGE PATTERN IS THE SAME FOR EACH SEX AND RACE GROUP, RATES FOR MALE ARRESTS ARE HIGHER FOR BOTH RACES AND AT EVERY AGE LEVEL, AND IN GENERAL ARREST RATES ARE HIGHER FOR BLACKS AT EACH LEVEL AND FOR BOTH SEXES. AN ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE INDICATED THAT AGE AND SEX, RESPECTIVELY, ACCOUNT FOR THE GREATEST RATE VARIATIONS. FURTHER, WITH SEX AND AGE CONTROLLED THE DIFFERENCES IN RATE BY RACE ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT. NARCOTICS (30.2 PERCENT OF ARRESTS) AND HALLUCINOGENS (38.9 PERCENT OF ARRESTS) WERE THE MOST FREQUENTLY INVOLVED DRUGS. MARIHUANA USE WAS INVOLVED IN ONLY 8 PERCENT OF ARRESTS. ARRESTS INVOLVING NARCOTICS USE INCREASED WITH INCREASING AGE, WHILE HALLUCINOGEN AND MARIHUANA RELATED ARRESTS DECLINED WITH INCREASING AGE. A TENDENCY TOWARD RACIAL DIFFERENCES REGARDING THE DRUGS INVOLVED IN ARRESTS WAS ALSO FOUND, WITH BLACKS SHOWING MORE ARRESTS FOR NARCOTICS OR BARBITURATES AND WHITES SHOWING GREATER ARRESTS FOR MARIHUANA, HALLUCINOGENS, AND AMPHETAMINES. OVERALL SEX DIFFERENCES INDICATING GREATER FEMALE INVOLVEMENT WITH NARCOTICS AND AMPHETAMINES AND GREATER MALE INVOLVEMENT WITH HALLUCINOGENS AND BARBITURATES LARGELY DISAPPEARED WITH AGE CONTROLLED FOR WHITES BUT REMAINED SIGNIFICANT FOR BLACKS. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. NO SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)