Opiate Addiction in the "Methadone Mile": Analysis and Recommendations

• In Event: Urban Drug Markets, Neighborhood Surveillance, and Group Stratification

Abstract

This research summarizes the analysis completed by the Curry College MACJ graduate cohort on the problem of opiate addiction in Boston, Massachusetts. Collaborating with the Boston Police Department and various community organizations and businesses in the area known as the “Methadone Mile”, MACJ faculty and students utilized a triangulated approach incorporating GIS to analyze calls for service and incident data for 3 years (2012-2015), observation data, and data gleaned from interviews with merchants, treatment providers, and personnel working at homeless shelters and other service providers in the area. The report focuses on problem analysis with the goal of identifying potential crime reduction strategies for the area examining the coexisting problems of addiction, homelessness, crime, and quality of life issues.

Authors

• Rebecca Paynich, Curry College

• Adam Stearn, Curry College