Drug Related Crimes: Violent Crime

A lot of research has been done on the relationship between drugs and violent crimes. One of America’s main reasons for the war on drugs is to eliminate crime that is associated with drug use and sale. There are many different situations which could lead to violence in the drug scene including competition between dealers, disputes between buyers and sellers, and a general tendency towards violent behavior amongst drug traffickers.

Areas which are popular for drug sales have often fallen behind economically and socially. As a result, there are fewer social controls against violence and open drug trades. Most of the campaigns to eliminate violent crimes in these areas are ineffective. In recent years, there has also been an increased use of deadly weapons in drug associated violence making it even more dangerous.

Homicides

Although the number of drug related homicides has been decreasing, it still remains a large proportion of the overall number of homicides. The number of homicides that occurred in with drug violations or because of violence as the result of a drug dispute remains around 1,000 per year, or 6% of total homicides. Although this may not seem to be a large proportion, it is generally within the top 5 types of homicide cases in the U.S.

Interpreting Drug-Related Crime

It is not always fair to blame drugs as the sole factor for these violent crimes. Statistically, it is also difficult to define their relationship. Many crimes are the result of different circumstances, and although violence may result because of a drug dispute, there may be many other factors as well. Also, many studies define ‘drug-related’ differently and the presence of drugs may play a small role in some statistics. Drug use may be limited or even a non-factor in some crimes, but ends up being represented as a drug-related violent crime.

Over-Representation

Although evidence indicates that drug crimes generate violent crimes, the numbers tend to be over-exaggerated. Some situations may be blamed on drugs when they are a non-factor. For example, someone who has committed a violent crime under the influence of drugs, may have their crime blamed on drugs. However, narcotics may have nothing to do with the crime itself. There are no real boundaries to determine when drugs play an important role in a crime and when they do not.