This article reports on the results of an evaluation of a drug market intervention program in High Point, NC.
Major findings from the evaluation of High Point, NC's drug market intervention program include the following: evaluation of longitudinal data showed that a statistically significant reduction in violent offenses occurred in targeted areas compared to non-targeted areas; the city-wide violent crime rate actually increased after the interventions began to unfold, suggesting limitations with the approach; and through the use of trend analysis, the strategy was found to have different levels of impact on violent crime throughout the unique geographic contexts of the area. The drug market intervention program in High Point, NC, uses the problem-oriented policing framework to target diverse groups of offenders and disrupt the city's open-air drug markets. The program uses various strategies across different targeted neighborhoods to reduce crime, focusing on low-risk offenders with the intention of changing their perceived risk of punishment. This report describes the framework for the program and outlines the process by which the program was implemented. Findings from the evaluation of the program are discussed in detail. Implications for policy and suggestions for future research are discussed. Tables, figures, references, and appendix