The effect of outpatient methadone maintenance treatment facilities on place-based crime

Abstract

This study evaluates the effect of outpatient methadone maintenance treatment (OMMT) facilities on crime in surrounding areas. Between 2007 and 2017 in Philadelphia, three OMMT facilities closed, and six new OMMT facilities opened. The variation in OMMT facility presence at these nine locations provides an opportunity to estimate the place-based effect of OMMT facilities on crime. We use Poisson regression to estimate the percentage change in crime relative to OMMT facility proximity. We also compare those effects relative to crime trends around OMMT facilities that were continuously open throughout the study period. Within a 200 m radius, the presence of an OMMT facility causes a significant decrease in property and total crime but a significant increase in drug and violent crime. There are no significant effects on crime outside of the 200-m radius. The effects of an OMMT facility on property, violent, and total crime decrease with increasing distance from the OMMT facility, consistent with a causal effect. OMMT facilities appear to influence crime in their surroundings. The areas around OMMT facilities experience reduced total crime and property crime; nonetheless, these areas might benefit from further assessment of violent crime risk.