Controlling Drug and Disorder Problems.

Law enforcement agencies across the United States have implemented many strategies to reduce drug and disorder problems. One strategy gaining prominence applies civil remedies (e.g., fines for code violations and threats of legal action) to persuade or coerce nonoffending third parties, typically the property owner or manager, to take action against criminal or nuisance behavior. The Oakland, California. Police Department developed the Beat Health program, which uses civil statute sanctions as leverage to encourage managers to address drug and disorder problems on their properties. Researchers gathered basic data at 50 control sites (where police engaged in standard patrol responses to drug and disorder problems) and at 50 Beat Health program sites throughout the city over a 39-month period. Researchers used calls for service, social observations, and interviews with managers to explore the impact of the program.

The combined efforts of the police and municipal authorities led to noticeably cleaner properties, more legitimate use of the street, less illicit and uncivil behavior, and fewer drug-related calls for service, especially in residential sites. Specifically, during the 12-month postintervention period, the density of drug calls for service per square mile in the Beat Health residential sites decreased by 16.2 percent and increased by 5.4 percent in the control residential sites. The density of drug calls related to commercial Beat Health sites increased by 45.8 percent during this period and by 282.2 percent at the commercial control sites. These findings suggest that the Beat Health program is particularly effective in residential locations, and that the patrol response is particularly ineffective at commercial locations. For a copy of this National Institute of Justice report, Controlling Drug and Disorder Problems: Oakland's Beat Health Program, NCJ 175051, access NIJ's Web site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij.