Stash, Duck, and Dash: Strategies to Elude the Police

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

Abstract

The principle aim of those involved in a street offending lifestyle is to avoid suspicion, confrontation, and apprehension by law enforcement. Drawing on qualitative interviews with a sample of at-risk men, the present study explores the extent and prevalence of efforts to manage the risks inherent in the illicit drug economy. Particular attention is afforded to strategies and techniques used to elude police detection (i.e., avoidance and concealment) as well as arrest (i.e., manipulation and defiance).

Author

• J. Michael Vecchio, Loyola University Chicago