NCJ Number
195222
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2002 Pages: 337-351
Date Published
2002
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the ways in which drug dealers who are robbed in the course of their illicit activities seek redress.
Abstract
This article examines how 20 recently robbed, active drug dealers in St Louis, Missouri responded to the offense perpetrated against them. The authors note that there is a massive population of people who do not have recourse to use the criminal justice system when crimes are perpetrated upon them. People who themselves are involved in illicit activities must seek redress for crimes committed upon them in ways that do not involve the criminal justice system, greatly inflating the amount of violence in our society. This study drew on the in-depth interviews of 20 active drug dealers in St Louis who claimed to be the victims of a recent robbery. All 20 participants were African-American males they ranged in age from 16 to 54, with a mean age of 28.8. The authors found that retaliation among these robbed drug dealers was important in order to maintain or enhance their reputation on the street, to recover their lost goods, and to seek vengeance against those who robbed them. This study reveals that much of our inner city, well-publicized street violence, such as aggravated assault and homicide, revolves around street-corner drug markets. It is suggested that the bulk of this violence is retaliatory violence for wrongs committed against persons involved in other illicit activities. The authors suggest that one way to curb such violence is for police agencies to encourage drug dealers to report crimes committed against them by ensuring the dealers that they will not suffer punishment for their illicit activities. 1 Figure, References