Policy Hub
On 28 November 2005, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published a report (Understanding drug selling in communities: Insider or outsider trading) which examines the relationship between communities and drug sellers for the first time. It says that police and campaigners against the spread of illegal drugs should beware stereotypes of drug-dealing areas as unpopular, socially-divided neighbourhoods. Although drug dealers find ways to exploit run-down areas, this research shows they can also thrive in neighbourhoods with a strong sense of community, in some cases operating as established 'family' businesses.
In one area, community-backed action against the established sellers had led to a number of dealers being jailed, but this had also opened the local market to outside dealers, prepared to take greater risks - including use of guns. Sustained police enforcement had also led to some drug dealing being 'displaced' into neighbouring communities.
Over half the dealers interviewed had previously lived in local authority care or secure accommodation. They typically had no educational qualifications and used alcohol and illicit drugs from an early age. Two-thirds had served a prison sentence. Half the sellers said they accepted stolen goods in payment for drugs. The clear implication was that the drug market existed alongside an active market for stolen property.
The report highlights the complex nature of drug dealing and its effect on local communities. It concludes that action against drug selling demands better understanding of local circumstances and the ambivalent relationships that some communities have with their illicit economies and outlines a range of possible enforcement measures. The research included interviews with 68 dealers, 800 residents and more than 120 professionals from the police and other local agencies.
The full report can be viewed on the JRF website (pdf).