Selling through the Seasons: An Assessment of the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Drug-Free Zone Arrests

• In Event: Contexts of Drug Enforcement: Investigating Felony Drug Sales Arrests and Case Processing in Fulton County, Georgia

Abstract

If the legislative intent of drug-free zone laws is dependent on the notion that children deserve protection in the public places that they regularly occupy, then enforcement patterns should coincide with the times of day, days of week, and weeks of the year in which children use those spaces. Little research has focused, however, on whether enforcement of drug selling in the vicinity of child-centered spaces, at the times when children are expected to be using them, align with the legislative objectives of drug-free zone laws. It may be that more adult-centered features of the environment, such as the presence of banks and ATMs, grocery stores, or other business and entertainment venues, better account for the concentration of arrests. This study examines how the enforcement of drug selling activities is influenced by the presence of child- and/or adult-centered activity spaces, both independently and when those spaces overlap. Data on all 2008 closed felony drug sales cases involving adult offenders in Atlanta are used to explore the tempo, rhythm, and timing of enforcement efforts in and around drug-free zones.

Authors

• Walter Campbell, Rutgers University

• Elizabeth Griffiths, Rutgers University