NCJ Number
183182
Journal
Alternatives to Incarceration Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2000 Pages: 22-24
Editor(s)
Thomas S. Kapinos
Date Published
2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The author believes that the single, freelance drug seller is being forced out of business and that drug distribution is increasingly being conducted and controlled by local, organized selling groups called gangs, crews, or posses.
Abstract
Several factors appear to be responsible for these trends. Competition between independent dealers reduces profits, and disorganized street drug selling attracts community attention and police pressure. Further, organized groups are more able to control and defend their selling locations, have more resources and are better able to expand into new areas, and are better able to protect themselves from competitors and the police by dividing selling activities into several distinct activities. These activities include lookout watches for police, hawkers who advertise drugs, runner messengers between gang members, security protection for both sellers and stashers, and money-for-drug exchanges. In addition to discussing organized drug selling, the author considers methadone diversion and diversion methods, urine tampering as an attempt to affect the results of urinalysis in order to prevent the detection of illicit drugs, and street hustles to obtain money to support drug habits. 3 photographs