Assessment of a concentrated, high-profile police operation. No discernible impact on drug availability, price or purity

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessment of a concentrated, high-profile police operation. No discernible impact on drug availability, price or purity

AU - Best, D

AU - Strang, J

AU - Beswick, T

AU - Gossop, M

PY - 2001/9

Y1 - 2001/9

N2 - Two weeks after the start of a major police initiative targeting drug dealing in London (described by the Metropolitan Police as a 'spectacular success'), 174 street drug users were interviewed about drug price, availability and purity. Only seven users reported price increases for any drug, with the majority stating that there had been no change in any market features. This basic pattern was not influenced by whether the users were aware of the operation, whether they lived in the areas directly affected or by the number of different dealers that they used to purchase their drugs. Paradoxically, any perceived changes were more likely to be 'improvements' in the market than deterioration (i.e. lower price, greater availability and higher levels of purity). There is limited evidence from the current study to support the assertion that targeted policing will impact on the accessibility, price or quality of heroin, cannabis or crack cocaine.

AB - Two weeks after the start of a major police initiative targeting drug dealing in London (described by the Metropolitan Police as a 'spectacular success'), 174 street drug users were interviewed about drug price, availability and purity. Only seven users reported price increases for any drug, with the majority stating that there had been no change in any market features. This basic pattern was not influenced by whether the users were aware of the operation, whether they lived in the areas directly affected or by the number of different dealers that they used to purchase their drugs. Paradoxically, any perceived changes were more likely to be 'improvements' in the market than deterioration (i.e. lower price, greater availability and higher levels of purity). There is limited evidence from the current study to support the assertion that targeted policing will impact on the accessibility, price or quality of heroin, cannabis or crack cocaine.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035610613&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/bjc/41.4.738

DO - 10.1093/bjc/41.4.738

M3 - Article

SN - 1464-3529

VL - 41

SP - 738

EP - 745

JO - The British Journal of Criminology

JF - The British Journal of Criminology

IS - 4

ER -