Strategy Nine: CURTAILING NEIGHBORHOOD RETAIL DRUG MARKETS THROUGH CITIZEN SURVEILLANCE

Citizen surveillance programs, such as citizen patrols and special “tip lines” for reporting drug activity to law enforcement agencies, have been one of the most visible environmental strategies used to limit illicit substance use in the community for adults and youth. Typically, these activities are conducted by a small group of dedicated volunteers willing to report the activities of suspected drug sellers who are conducting their business out in the open on the streets of a local neighborhood. In communities where exemplary citizen initiatives took place, community residents reported greater social interaction with neighbors and increased willingness to call the police in response to drug problems (Rosembaum and Lavrakas 1993).

Community groups often take up the call to help curtail neighborhood drug markets by organizing night watches or citizen watch groups to patrol locations where drug sales commonly take place. Community groups have used cameras to record drug sales or sometimes just physically created a presence in proximity to drug dealers. While some citizen watch groups have been successful in eradicating drug markets in their communities through patrol groups, this strategy does pose a potential safety risk to participants and should involve close collaboration with local police.