Variation in Criminal Efficiency: Explaining Criminal Income per Transaction of Traffickers

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Canada fights drug problems by targeting traffickers rather than consumers. Economic models explain that this operation can have different impacts on market prices. An attack on supply would cause traffickers to demand a higher price in order to offset the associated risks and costs. However, the intermingling of supply and demand makes the analysis more complex. The interchangeability of traffickers and consumers creates a paradigm where the supply and demand curves can both raise or lower prices for the same operation. The price elasticity of demand would differ by type of drug, type of consumer, and geographic regions. The unit price will obviously have an impact on individual traffickers' income. Individual factors may also impact traffickers' income, either through characteristics of their criminal career, conventional and criminal capital, and other aspects of their criminal achievement. Based on this information, it seems relevant to consider both the macro factors that can influence supply and demand curves and the individual characteristics. Considering the numerous consequences of trafficking and the current regulation, it seems relevant to understand what influences the criminal efficiency of traffickers, which is linked to the persistence of the career, in order to develop more effective prevention programs.

Author

• Melina Girard, University of Montreal