Introduction
Crime is a serious issue in the state of Texas in general and in the city of Houston in particular. Both the state and the city have one of the slowest crime reduction progressions nationwide, although some positive results have been achieved during the last decade (Maxwell, 2015). However, still Houston is ranked 46th most dangerous city in the United States of America (Texas Department of Public Safety, 2015). Despite the fact that in comparison with 2010 results the number of murders fell by 38% from January to July 2012, the city is still replete with dangers. The total number of violent crime decreased on 11% during the same period and the law enforcement community acknowledges that the efforts aimed at curbing human trafficking are almost fruitless in this region (Texas Department of Public Safety)
Moreover, the city remains to be one of the pivotal centers of the national drug trafficking business. Because of its close proximity to the major exporters of illegal drugs, the city is a federal USA ‘distribution center’ of cannabis, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other illegal substances. One of the most oppressive aspects of the problem is that the drug business of the city implicates a large number of juveniles. Statistically, a baby born in Houston has with 4% probability will be in some form engaged in prohibited substance-related activities (Ellis, Beaver & Wright, 2009). The Uniform Crime Reporting Bureau and the FBI published several reports, where they emphasized ineffectiveness of the community campaigns and current policies relating to this problem.
This essay pursues several intertwined objectives. The first part examines current juvenile crime statistics in the city, with the focal point made on in-depth statistics of drug-related crimes. Among other issues, it explains what substance-associated crimes are the most widespread in the city, and how the youth is involved. The second part attempts tracing the evolution of these crimes from 1980th to the present days. Then, this analysis provides a theoretical substantiation of the neighborhood juvenile drug crime, trying to explain why rates of young population implication is so serious. Finally, the research proposes a comprehensive framework of coping with the mounting problem and summarizes the main points of this research.
Types of Crime
The concept of drug-related crime in the state of Texas includes the deeds such as sale, use, unlawful possession and manufacturing of the prohibited substances. In 2014 139,471 drug related arrests took place in the state (the law enforcement arrested 518 persons for every 100,000 residents of the community). Five percent of the arrested qualify as ‘juveniles’ under the provisions of the Texas and federal criminal law (15-19 years of age; for different crimes different legal age is prescribed). Despite the fact the biggest amount of crime perpetrates are in 20-24 years of age category, the research shows that in comparison with 2005 a typical criminal became younger. 74% of the criminals were White or Hispanic (64% of this percentage are of non-Hispanic origin) and 35% are of African American origin (Texas Department of Public Safety, 2015).
Sale and Manufacture of Drug Substances
As far as arrests for illegal sale and manufacture of drugs is concerned, the Texas Department of Public Safety reports that the number of arrests totaled 16, 912 (63 arrests for every 100 000 residents of the state). In other words, there was an 11.8% increase between 2013 and the first quarter of 2015. Almost three percent of this figure were juvenile criminals, i.e. the people aged 16 or under. 75% of the arrested are white or Hispanic (40% from this number are Hispanics) and 25% are African Americans. 78% are males and 22% are females (Texas Department of Public Safety, 2015).
Drug Possession
The police arrested 122, 656 persons for alleged unlawful possession of drug-related substances, showing an insignificant 0.8% decrease from the previous year. With regard to the rate of arrests, the police made 455.5 arrests for every 100, 000 persons living in the state, and the arrest rate declined by 2.4 % between 2013 and 2014.
In this cohort, 5.5% of the entire arrested population were juvenile delinquents, among whom 80% were males and 74% of these males were white and Hispanic (65% from this amount were not Hispanic), 26% were African Americans (Texas Department of Public Safety, 2015).
Driving Under Influence
This crime encompasses not only driving a vehicle under the influence of liquor, but while drug intoxicated as well. Therefore, we have included this crime into our analysis.
In 2014, the law enforcement officers of Texas made 70,571 arrest relating to driving under influence, showing a 5.6% decline from the same period in 2013. The arrest rate in this segment was 262.1 arrests for every 100,000 residents of the neighborhood. In comparison with 2013 the number of arrests decreased of 7.3%. 0.2% of the arrested persons were legally juveniles.
Overall, substance-related crime is obviously an acute serious issue in Texas. Not only it is one of the most popular crimes in the category of non-violent crimes, but also getting money to buy drugs is one of the key motives which propels criminal behavior in the neighborhood. The number of robberies and murders committed under the influence of substances totaled a quarter of all crimes, while in 6% of cases the reason of robbing a victim was to get money to buy drugs (Texas Department of Public Safety, 2015).
The Evolution of Juvenile Drug-Related Crime in Texas
The research shows that although its main legal features remain the same, drug-related (as well as others) forms of crime do not crystalize, taking different dimensions over the time (Peterson, Krivo & Hagan, 2006). In other words, the criminals routinely devise the new ways and methods of drug manufacture and merchandise. In response, the law enforcement community of the United States of America has been developing various solutions to combat growing crime. The both parties have their winning strategies and feeble points, but the main message of this trend is relatively obvious to the international law enforcement community – the crime mutates, and the drug administration, as well as other law enforcement authorities must be vigilant to track the newest forms of crime, as well as to develop appropriate, timely and effective responses.
Between the beginning of 1980th and the present days the changes in drug crime patterns in the city of Houston were dramatic, despite the fact that the number and ratio of the arrested persons decreased on 13% and 32 persons per 100, 000 of the population respectively (Texas Department of Public Safety). Analyzing crime statistics of those days and todays police reports the one can conclude that (a) the involvement of juveniles became more significant, (b) technology became more widely used in different spheres of this business and (c) psychological patterns of the criminals dramatically changed (Maxwell, 2015).
Firstly, during this time span proportion of the juveniles involved in this sort of business more than doubled. Different police reports, scholarly opinion and eye witnessing statements of the former convicts revealed that no more in the past only two percent of the cartel staff and affiliates were underage. Today, almost every twentieth member of the drug gangs operating in the neighborhood is under legal age (Maxwell, 2015). Despite the fact that the Department of Public Safety in cooperation with several community-oriented organizations have launched a number of public initiatives to tackle this trend, the research shows that it is becoming mainstream. Every year the percentage of the juveniles taken behind the bars for substance-related misdeeds is increasing.
The commentators provide different explanations of why this sort of crime rejuvenises. Although we delve into the causes of juvenile drug crime in the next section of this essay, it is important emphasizing that one of the key reasons is that many young people do not have viable career prospects (Akers, 2000). Only 42% of the high-school graduates enter colleges or other educational establishments (Texas Department of Public Safety, 2015). Because of the economic crisis 2008-2010, the number of employment opportunities for this age and education category plummeted down, and, although the recession finished, its impact still resonates.
Secondly, substance-related crime became more reliant on technology in all stages. In production, the drug manufacturers operate portable drug-producing laboratories, where professional chemists prepare the most structurally sophisticated narcotic substances. In distribution, the drug dealers no longer advertise their products by word of mouth – their clientele is unlimited and dwells in the dark side of the web. Using the advantage created by the digital evolution – ability to reach virtually unlimited number of people in a jiff, the drug dealers have increased their sales multifold. In other words an importer of drugs who lives and ‘works’ in Houston can easily sell them in Alabama or in California. The buyers and the sellers are easily matched online, and the police has very limited options to spot and track such transaction, unless one of the parties inform the law enforcement, or the police department occasionally come across the transaction.
Furthermore, not only ‘marketing’ and delivery approaches to the drug business have undergone fundamental evolutionary permutations, but the payment methods as well. Today the criminals rarely hand over cash with their fingerprints – because the transactions are made online, the payments go in line with them. The most popular for making illegal payments todays is bit coin. Technologically, this solution employs a so-called ‘block-chain’ algorithm, which, as evinced by many internet security commentators, makes it impossible to track down parties of a transaction, and even the fact of a transaction itself.
Finally, psychological portrait of a typical criminal has seriously altered. In the past, the main rationale behind the decision to become a criminal was need and lack of career of opportunities. In the early 1980, the neighborhood had one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States of America. This circumstance converted drug dealing into a career, which could help to feed the family. The research shows that many people, who were actively involved in drug trafficking and trading in the past, sincerely repent their past transgressions today (Akers, 2000) After they served their sentences, many of them turned into the law-abiding members of the community, found legitimate jobs and started new families.
Today, however, the situation is a stark contrast to what a typical drug dealer was in the past. Trading in illegal substances is viewed not as the only way of making a living, but as a glamorized by the media lifestyle, replete with quick money, luxurious cars, sumptuous mansions and other attributes of a rich life. In other words, in the past a serious percentage of the youth had no other options but to get embroiled into drug affairs to support themselves and their facilities. Today many other, legally permitted opportunities are ubiquitously available, but many young people prefer to take shortcut
Theoretical Explanation of Juvenile Drug-related delinquency
In the plethora of different criminological theories, rational choice approach appears to be the most explicative and substantiated to amplify the causes of juvenile drug crime in Houston. The theorists of this approach argue that an individual, who considers committing an illegal action either consciously or subliminally, weights all cons and pros of his prospective actions (Bursik & Robert, 1988). If in his opinion the benefits outweigh the deficiencies of his project, then he typically ventures to act in accordance with his ill design.
With regard to the drug trafficking and selling activities, the prospects of making fortune are balanced by the provisions of state and federal law, which, despite their loud-voiced severity, have not proven to be effective deterrents against the proliferation of drug business in the region. In practice, if a teenager is caught first-time with a batch of drugs, in the majority of cases he is likely to get a probation sentence. On the other hands, he can make tens of thousand dollars per month with virtually not arduous efforts exerted.
This theoretical framework rests on three important presumptions. Firstly, there should be a motivated actor. Secondly, a suitable target should be available. Lastly, the law enforcement authorities should be either non-present, or they should be unable to prevent the action (Akers, 2000).
Recommendations and Conclusions
Because criminal behavior of the youth in Houston community of Texas is most effectively justified through the theory of rational choice, the law enforcement responsive affirmative actions should be based on the similar doctrine.
As we have discussed before, there are three basic elements of the rational choice theory. The leading criminologists have a convergent opinion that trying to remove the first elements is virtually impossible without infringing upon the principle of ‘invisible hand’. The practice shows that however strong and persuasive the campaigns against drug may be, the community has never been diverted from smoking pot, or even consuming ‘hard’ substances. Trying to reduce the number of those who try to exploit this weakness of the human nature is hardly possible as well. The research says that it is not possible to reduce the number of those proactive dealers, who make their fortunes by exploiting the invincible vices of the human nature. Drug addiction is one of the most ingrained and incorrigible vices of our civilization with no effective medical solution discovered yet.
Therefore, the law enforcement agents should concentrate their efforts on improving efficiency of their operational activities. Existing and potential criminals should understand that the chances of punishment and its severity are much higher than the chances of striking a bargain of unquestionable profit, but of questionable probity.
In general, if the local police community becomes capable of localizing the substance suppliers of Houston, making a great contribution to the American anti-crime campaign will become a feasible, realistic scenario.
References
Texas Department of Public Safety. (2015). The Texas Crime Report for 2014. Chapter 4. Selected Non-Index Crimes, available at: http://dps.texas.gov/crimereports/14/citCh4.pdf
Maxwell, J.C. (2015). Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: June 2014, available at: https://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/texas2014a.pdf
Bursik Jr., Robert J. (1988). "Social Disorganization and Theories of Crime and Delinquency: Problems and Prospects". Criminology 26 (4): 519–539
Ellis, L., Beaver, K. & Wright, J. (2009). Handbook of crime correlates. Amsterdam Boston: Elsevier/Academic Press.
Akers, R. (2000). Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application. Los Angeles: Roxbury
Peterson, R., Krivo, L. & Hagan, J. (2006). The many colors of crime inequalities of race, ethnicity, and crime in America. New York: New York University Press.
