Studies of the Spatial Overlap of Drug Use, Drug Treatment and Crime

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

This panel explores the spatial intersection of drug use, public health interventions, and perceived or actual effects on public safety. The first paper investigates the impact of substance use disorder treatment facilities on local crime, addressing common NIMBY concerns. Using detailed crime data, the authors find no increase—and possible reductions—in crime following clinic openings. The second paper, Syndemic Spaces, examines the geographic co-occurrence of gun violence, overdose deaths, and structural disadvantage across the U.S., revealing how multiple harms concentrate in marginalized communities through shared ecological mechanisms. The third paper examines the effects of harm reduction vending machines on drug-related police activity in Washington, DC, to provide early evidence that public health interventions can coexist with public safety. Together, these studies challenge assumptions about disorder and intervention, and underscore the importance of place in shaping both harm and response.

Sub Unit

• Area IV. Correlates of Crime / 25. Substance Use and Abuse

Individual Presentations

• NIMBY Concerns, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, and Local Crime - David Mitre Becerril, University of Connecticut; Aaron Chalfin, University of Pennsylvania; Brandon del Pozo, Brown University; Jonathan Cantor, RAND

• Syndemic Spaces: The Co-Location of Gun Violence, Overdose, and Structural Disadvantage - Greg Midgette, University of Maryland / RAND; Codey Carr, University of Maryland, College Park

• An Evaluation of HRVM Implementation on Drug-related Police Stops in Washington, DC - Codey Carr, University of Maryland, College Park; Greg Midgette, University of Maryland / RAND; Andrea Lopez, University of Maryland; Tanveer Hassan, University of Maryland