Increasing Opiate Addiction and Falling Crime Rates in NYC?

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

It is widely believed that an addiction to opiates, especially heroin, is often sustained over time by users who commit money-making crimes. Yet New York City, which is in the midst of a full-blown epidemic of opiate use, continues to report declining rates of crime, including robberies and burglaries; two crimes that are thought to be affected by the number of drug addicts in a community. This poster examines health indicators that provide clues about the rates of addiction and/or number of addicts in neighborhoods that are particularly hard-hit by the crisis, and crime statistics in those same neighborhoods as reported by the NYPD. Given the assumed connection between opiate addiction and crime, the poster examines the discrepancy between official statistics from health and criminal justice agencies, and considers explanatory frameworks that account for this difference.

Authors

• Michael Denio, The Graduate Center / John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

• Frances Morales, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

• Alexander Sarmiento, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

• Brenda Velez, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

• Daren Urena, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY