ABSTRACT
The sale of illegal drugs is not uniformly distributed across urban environments. Rather, there are locations best suited to the sale of drugs that illegal drug dealers seem to be able to identify (Dorn et al., 1992; Eck, 1994; Olligschlaeger, 1997; Rengert, 1996). These areas vary in their attractiveness for illegal drug dealers, but there are some generalizations that become apparent. For example, most wish to establish a marketplace close to their home (Rengert et al., 2000). Therefore, the spatial distribution of dealers should partially explain the spatial arrangement of illegal drug sales. However, if dealers are not operating out of their homes, they travel to a location deemed to have advantages for illegal drug sales and reduced risk for apprehension and victimization. Areas deemed to be advantageous for illegal drug sales have been thoroughly examined (Eck, 1994; Natarajan and Hough, 2000; Rengert, 1996). Less commonly addressed is the environmental variation in factors associated with apprehension and victimization of illegal drug dealers. This is the focus of this chapter.
