Suchergebnisse

A systematic pre- and postintervention neighborhood observation constituted one component of the evaluation of an initiative to eliminate a street-drug market. Analysis focused on multiple indicators of social and physical order and disorder, as well as physical decay. No noticeable changes were found, but variations in physical and social attributes between the market area and other segments of the neighborhood were revealed. These results suggest lessons that can be learned—and questions that should be considered—with regard to the application of the neighborhood observation methodology to an evaluation of this type of strategic, community-based initiative.

Open-air drug markets are destructive to communities and negatively influence community residents. To combat open-air drug markets, a data-driven, focused deterrence approach drawn from David Kennedy's "pulling levers" framework was used in two North Carolina cities. Until now, the elements of the strategy have only been articulated through the perspective of law-enforcement personnel. However, community residents living in open-air drug market areas offer critical perspectives that frequently go unvoiced. Through the use of focus groups with community residents, this article elucidates the perspectives and perceptions of community residents as they relate to the strategy and emphasizes the imperative community role in deterring drug crime.