Identifying and Informing Strategies for Disrupting Drug Distribution Networks: An Application to Opiate Flows in Pennsylvania

摘要: As the opioid epidemic, now an overdose epidemic that involves polysubstance use, continues to negatively impact communities across the United States, this project sought to identify ways to disrupt and reduce opioid supplies, a key aspect for reducing drug related harm in communities. Policy and practice recommendations emphasize the need for data-driven, intelligence led approaches to maximize disruption of drug supplies and markets. This project specifically sought to inform and advance data-driven approaches to criminal justice policy and practice through two primary goals:(1) examining the structure of local opioid distribution networks and markets; and (2) understanding the capacity for local intelligence to disrupt local opioid supply networks and markets.To address these goals, we worked extensively with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) to identify locations in Pennsylvania where it would be possible to detect and assess opioid distribution networks and markets and to gain local intelligence on drug-related activity. Through data provided by the PSP and several other sources, we were able to construct observed and modeled opioid networks in six target counties. Our team modified existing software, known as HarvestMapper, to allow users to identify locations of drug-related activity in their communities through participatory mapping on touchscreen laptops. We than compared these locations to known drug activities through data provided by the PSP.