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Drug Enforcement and the Deterrence of Property Crime Among Local Jurisdictions

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  • David L. Sollars

    (Auburn University at Montgomery)

  • Bruce L. Benson

    (Florida State University)

  • David W. Rasmussen

    (Florida State University)

Abstract

This article investigates the relationships among property crime, police resources, and the allocation of police resources in a model using data from Florida jurisdic tions. Crime spillovers among local jurisdictions are also investigated in this context. Significant spillovers are revealed, and the evidence suggests that allocating scarce police resources to drug enforcement reduces the deterrence of property crime. The results also suggest that police may capture rents by increasing drug enforcement. Increasing the relative number of drug arrests raises the property crime rate, and both of these variables are positively correlated with police resources.

Suggested Citation

  • David L. Sollars & Bruce L. Benson & David W. Rasmussen, 1994. "Drug Enforcement and the Deterrence of Property Crime Among Local Jurisdictions," Public Finance Review, , vol. 22(1), pages 22-45, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:22:y:1994:i:1:p:22-45
    DOI: 10.1177/109114219402200102
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    Cited by:

    1. Benson, Bruce L. & Rasmussen, David W. & Kim, Iljoong, 1998. "Deterrence and Public Policy: Trade-Offs in the Allocation of Police Resources," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 77-100, March.
    2. Miron, Jeffrey A, 2001. "Violence, Guns, and Drugs: A Cross-Country Analysis," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 44(2), pages 615-633, October.
    3. Shoesmith, Gary L., 2013. "Space–time autoregressive models and forecasting national, regional and state crime rates," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 191-201.
    4. Gregory DeAngelo & R. Kaj Gittings & Amanda Ross & Annie Walker, 2016. "Police Bias in the Enforcement of Drug Crimes: Evidence from Low Priority Laws," Working Papers 16-01, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    5. Jaewook Byeon & Iljoong Kim & Dongwon Lee, 2018. "Protest and property crime: political use of police resources and the deterrence of crime," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 175(1), pages 181-196, April.
    6. DeAngelo Gregory J. & Ross Amanda & Gittings R. Kaj, 2018. "Police Incentives, Policy Spillovers, and the Enforcement of Drug Crimes," Review of Law & Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 14(1), pages 1-29, March.
    7. Jonathan Caulkins & Maria Dworak & Gustav Feichtinger & Gernot Tragler, 2000. "Price-raising drug enforcement and property crime: a dynamic model," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 71(3), pages 227-253, October.
    8. Yunker, James A., 2012. "Estimated optimal drug law enforcement expenditures based on U.S. annual data," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 356-371.
    9. Amanda Ross & Anne Walker, 2017. "The Impact Of Low-Priority Laws On Criminal Activity: Evidence From California," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(2), pages 239-252, April.
    10. Hope Corman & H. Naci Mocan, 1996. "A Time-Series Analysis of Crime and Drug Use in New York City," NBER Working Papers 5463, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Bruce L. Benson, 2010. "The Allocation of Police," Chapters, in: Bruce L. Benson & Paul R. Zimmerman (ed.), Handbook on the Economics of Crime, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Garoupa, Nuno, 1997. "Optimal law enforcement and the economics of the drug market: Some comments on the Schengen Agreements," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 521-535, December.
    13. Amanda Ross & Anne Walker, 2014. "Low Priority Laws and the Allocation of Police Resources," Working Papers 14-06, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.

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