The relationship between drug abuse and violent crime in America

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice -- two views of drug-Related crimes

The relationship of drugs and violent, unorganized street crime:

According to the annual Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) cited by the Justice Information Center, there is a strong correlation between drug and alcohol abuse and violent crime. Data collected from male arrestees in 1998 in 35 cities showed that the percentage testing positive for any drug ranged from 42.5% in Anchorage, Alaska, (the lowest percentage) to 78.7% in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (a rather staggeringly high percentage). (http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/crime/index.html) Additionally, 27% of Federal prisoners admitted committing their offense to get money to buy drugs.

Gangs and drugs

Drug-related crimes are not merely the result of desperate actions of individuals in thrall to their addiction. Drug-related crimes also often have an organized source, and organized sources of drugs also are a source of violent crime. According to the FBI (http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs11/13157/index.htm#relation) one must look at the organized face of drug-related crime to gain a full picture of the negative impact drugs have on society. "According to a 2001 Department of Justice survey, 20% of students aged 12 through 18 reported that street gangs had been present at their school during the previous 6 months. More than a quarter (28%) of students in urban schools reported a street gang presence, and 18% of students in suburban schools and 13% in rural schools reported the presence of street gangs. Public schools reported a much higher percentage of gang presence than private schools."