NCJ Number
175495
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 25 Issue: 9 Dated: September 1998 Pages: 62-66
Date Published
1998
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines attempts to eliminate street-level drug buys.
Abstract
One of the goals of local law enforcement should be to make buying drugs harder for customers. If customers must deal with strangers in a strange and more dangerous place, the fringe drug users may stop buying and stop using altogether. Purchasers in high-crime areas tend to be middle- or upper-middle-class people who visit these areas and create the opportunity for drug sales. They stand to lose more and have more to fear from law enforcement; without buyers there will be no sellers. A sweep of street-level activity is a short-term solution that works well, but it should be followed by other aggressive community actions to ensure that the area stays clean. Continued and constant enforcement is the key to success against street-level drug trade. Addressing street-level drug buys is a three-pronged approach that involves education, enforcement and treatment. The key to success is to battle on all fronts at the same time, and to involve the community. Without community support behind law enforcement efforts, any efforts are doomed to short-term success.