The spatial–temporal relationship of policing in areas with high drug activity

Abstract

Aims: In2009,Mexico implementeda federaldrugpolicy reform that de-emphasized drug law enforcement in favor of connecting drug-dependent personswith addiction treatment (narcomenudeo reform). It remains unclear to what extent the reform impacted drug arrests in areaswith a history of drug-related violence, such as Tijuana, Mexico. This study examines the spatial–temporal trends of drug-related policing activity. Methods: Location of self-reported arrests from 2011 to 2013 among a prospective sample of illicit drug users in Tijuana (n=564) was mapped across 9 districts corresponding to policing precincts. Official crime statistics detailing drug possession and sale arrests obtained from the Tijuana police department during the same period were layered onto the map. Moran’s I statistic examined clustering and spatial dependencies of self-reported arrests and official drug possession arrest rates over the 3-year period using GeoDa software. Results: Official drug possession arrest rates increased from 2011 to 2013 by 67.8% in Tijuana. There was significant clustering of self-reported arrests that persisted over time. We detected spatial dependencies between the location of self-reported and official arrests that remained stable over the 3 years; districts with a high number of self-reported arrests were also characterized by high rates of drug arrests. Conclusions: Multiple sources of data suggest that individuals continue tobedetained fordrug-relatedoffenses inTijuana, despite the drug decriminalization reform, with highest concentrations of arrests in areas traditionally characterized by drug-related crime. We found no evidence that drug arrests are converted to referrals to drug treatment services, as contemplated by the narcomenudeo reform. Implications for additional steps to align policingwith public health policy are discussed. Financial support: K01DA034523, R37DA019829, D43TW008633, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Trudeau Foundation.