Legal Cynicism and Drug Use at the Microgeographic Level: Evidence from a Study of Crime Hot Spots

A growing body of literature demonstrates that drug activities are concentrated in specific microgeographic areas, exhibiting strong street-to-street variability within neighborhoods. However, little is known about what affects the likelihood of illegal drug use at the microgeographic level. By applying a legal cynicism framework, we aim to explain the likelihood of illegal drug use at the microgeographic level.

We leverage survey and crime data at 449 street segments, primarily comprised of crime or drug hot spots in Baltimore, Maryland. Mixed-effects OLS regression models are used to examine the association between legal cynicism, defined by shared perceptions of police ineffectiveness, and drug use at the street level, while accounting for key potential covariates.

We find that shared legal cynicism among residents is key to understanding the likelihood of drug use, specifically marijuana and hard drugs, at the street level. However, legal cynicism is not significantly associated with alcohol consumption at the street level.

Our findings suggest that efforts to reduce drug use should focus on addressing legal cynicism regarding police ineffectiveness at the microgeographic level. The police should better communicate with residents to convey their dedication to reducing crime and ensuring public safety. Such communication may help reduce legal cynicism, and in turn, lower drug use at the microgeographic level.