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Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis
May 2007

Drug-Related Crime

Violent and property crimes in the HIDTA region often are associated with the distribution and abuse of illicit drugs, particularly crack cocaine and methamphetamine.8 Crack cocaine and methamphetamine distributors commonly commit violent crimes including assault, carjacking, drive-by shooting, home invasion, and robbery to protect and expand their drug operations. Methamphetamine and crack abusers are often associated with violent crimes including domestic violence and child abuse; abusers also often commit property crimes such as burglary, forgery, fraud, larceny, and identity theft to support their addictions. Rising methamphetamine abuse levels in the area will most likely lead to increased incidents of these crimes.

 

Abuse

Increasing methamphetamine abuse is the most critical drug abuse concern in the Midwest HIDTA region, according to public health officials. Treatment admissions for amphetamines (which include methamphetamine) increased or remained stable in all HIDTA states through 2005 (the most recent data available). Further, aggregate amphetamine admissions to publicly funded facilities in HIDTA states increased 40 percent from 11,177 to 18,423 during the same period.9 (See Figure 4 in Outlook section.)

Methamphetamine abuse and its associated violence severely tax the resources of public health departments, treatment centers, and social service agencies in the Midwest HIDTA region. Methamphetamine-related domestic violence, child abuse, and child neglect have burdened local foster care systems and social services. Because of methamphetamine's highly addictive nature, longer treatment programs and high recidivism rates encumber treatment centers in the area. Additionally, methamphetamine abuse often is linked to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and chlamydia.

Powder cocaine abuse has surged in many areas of the Midwest HIDTA region in the past year, largely because of increasing demand from younger abusers and a desire by distributors to avoid lengthier crack cocaine distribution penalties. Numerous law enforcement agencies have reported that powder cocaine seizures are increasing at the retail level. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Laboratory reports that powder cocaine submissions increased from 11,457 grams in fiscal year (FY) 2005 to 71,581 grams in FY2006. The Johnson County, Kansas, Crime Laboratory reported a similar increase, with 541 powder cocaine cases submitted between January and August 2006 compared with approximately 341 cases for the same period in 2005. Law enforcement reporting in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska indicates that powder cocaine has become popular with high school and college students.

White heroin availability has increased in the St. Louis metropolitan area over the past year. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) St. Louis Field Division, white heroin and Mexican black tar heroin are readily available in St. Louis. DEA Domestic Monitoring Program (DMP) tests indicate the presence of South American and Mexican black tar heroin in the city; Southwest Asian heroin is also present, but to a far lesser extent. White heroin distributed in the St. Louis metropolitan area is occasionally mixed with fentanyl. There were 13 overdose deaths involving heroin/fentanyl combinations in the St. Louis area in 2006, according to DEA. However, the source of these particular heroin/fentanyl combinations is uncertain.


End Notes

8. A direct correlation between drugs and violent crime is difficult to statistically represent. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) more narrowly defines what constitutes a drug-related crime than the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Agencies reporting through UCR will represent less drug-related crime than agencies reporting the same crimes through NIBRS.
9. The year for which the most recent Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) information is available is 2005. Amphetamine admissions include methamphetamine.


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