7 - ‘Desperados, Druggies and Delinquents’: Devising a Community-based Security Regime to Combat Drug Related Crime
Corresponding Author(s) : Dorcas Oyebisi Ettang
Africa Development,
Vol. 42 No. 3 (2017): Africa Development: Special Issue on Security Regimes in Africa – Prospects and Challenges
Abstract
Drug abuse amongst African youths makes them vulnerable to numerous threats. Many easily succumb to crime and violence. In South Africa, drug abuse is on the rise. In 2012, the World Health Organization reported that 15 per cent of South Africa’s population had a drug problem, giving it a reputation as one of the drug capitals of the world. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group in 2013 notes that illegal drug consumption in South Africa is double the global norm. Situated within national and sub-regional contexts, this article examines the growing drugs threat and links this to insecurity in Kokstad Municipality. Through interviews, the article proposes an appropriate community-based response mechanism to address the causes and effects of drug abuse. Drawing from Human Security and the Conflict Theory of Drug Abuse, community-based responses that prevent and reduce drug induced crime at the grassroots are seen as the way forward.
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- African Union (AU), 2012, AU Plan of Action on Drug Control (2013–2017) Submitted for Consideration by the 5th Session of the Africa Union Conference of Ministers of Drug Control (CAMDC5), Addis Ababa.
- African Union (AU), 2014, Drugs Kill but Bad Policies Kill More: Scaling up Balanced and Integrated Responses Towards Drug Control in Africa, Concept Note for the 6th Session of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Drug Control (CAMDC6), 6–10 October.
- Collins, J.J., ed., 1981, Drinking and Crime, New York: Guilford Publications.
- Eck, J.E. and Rosenbaum, D.P., 1994, The Challenge of Community Policing: Testing the Promises, London: Sage.
- Emmett, T., Butchart, A., Saayman, G. and Lekoba, R., 2000, ‘Community Responses to Crime’ in Emmett, T. and Butchart, A., eds, Behind the Mask: Getting to Grips with Crime and Violence in South Africa, Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council.
- Emmett, T., 2003, ‘Social Disorganisation, Social Capital and Violence Prevention in South Africa’, African Safety Promotion: A Journal of Injury and Violence Prevention 1 (4): 4–18.
- Ephraim, A., 2014, ‘Nyaope’s Deadly, and Addictive Mix’, http://mg.co.za/article/2014-07-03-hook-line-and-sinker-thats-nyaope, accessed 20 May 2016.
- Express and Star, 2014, ‘Drug Arrests after Neighbourhood Watch Members Spot “Suspicious Deals”’, http://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2014/09/18/drugs-arrests-after-neighbourhood-watch-members-spot-suspicious-deals/, accessed 31 May 2016.
- Fagan, J., 1990, ‘Intoxication and Aggression’ in Tonry, M. and Wilson, J.Q., eds, Drugs and Crime, Vol. 13, Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Goldstein, P.J., 1985, ‘The Drugs/Violence Nexus: A Tripartite Conceptual Framework’, Journal of Drug Issues 15 (Fall): 493–506.
- Goode, E., 2011, Drugs in American Society, New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Human Security Handbook., 2016, Human Security Unit., United Nations, New York.
- Kawachi, I., Kennedy, B.P. and Wilkinson, R.G., 1999, ‘Crime: Social Disorganisation and Relative Deprivation’, Social Science and Medicine 48: 719–31. Lillington, C., 2015, Family-run Drugs Gangs Smashed by Police with help of Neighbourhood Watch Teams, http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/family-run-drugs-gang-smashed-police-9299076, accessed 31 October 2016.
- Majangaza, S., 2016, Top Units to Fight Drugs, Guns. (http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2016/02/27/top-units-to-fight-drugs-guns/) accessed 31 October, 2016.
- Maseko, N., 2015, ‘South African Townships’ Addictive Drug Cocktail’, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31620569, accessed 25 May 2016.
- Meyer, M. and Van Graan, J.G., 2011, ‘Effective Community Policing in Practice: The Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch Case Study, West Rand’, Acta Criminologica 24 (2): 132–45.
- Miczek, K.A., DeBold, J.F., Haney, M., Tidey, J., Vivian, J. and Weerts, E.M., 1994, ‘Alcohol, Drugs of Abuse, Aggression, and Violence’ in Reiss, A.J. and Roth, J.A., eds, Understanding and Preventing Violence, Vol. 3, Washington DC: National Academy Press.
- Mills, J.E.A., 2007, ‘Recent Cases of the Cold Blooded Murder of Ghanaians’, http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Recent-Cases-Of-The-Cold-Blooded-Murder-Of-Ghanaians-126999, accessed 31 May 2016.
- Mungai, C., 2015a, ‘5 Very Shocking Trends in Illegal Drugs in Africa, including the deadly Heroin-rat poison-ARV mix’, available at http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-03-20-five-dan, accessed 20 May 2016.
- Mungai, C., 2015b, ‘The Making of the African Narco-State: Drugs, Crime and Dirty Money are New Big Threats’, available at http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-03-18-the-making-of-a-narco-state, accessed 26 May 2016.
- National Youth Development Policy Framework, 2002–07, Towards Integrated National Youth Development Initiatives and Programmes. South Africa.
- Protocol on Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region, 2006, Southern African Development Community.
- Robins, L.N., 1980. ‘The Natural History of Drug Abuse’. in Lettieri, D., Sayers, M., and Pearson, H.W. Theories on Drug Abuse: Selected Contemporary Perspectives, Maryland: National Institute on Drug Abuse Ross, W., 2013, ‘South Africa’s Craze for Heroin-Marijuana Cocktail’, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-24137003, accessed 25 May 2016.
- Shelly, S., 2016, ‘South Africa is Still Fighting an Apartheid-Like Drug War’, https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/south-africa-still-fighting-apartheid-drug-war, accessed 31 October 2016.
- South African Government News Agency, 2016, Police Units Swoop on Drug Dens. (http://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/police-units-swoop-drug-dens) 31 October, 2016.
- United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. 2002. A Participatory Handbook for Youth Drug Abuse Prevention Programmes: A Guide for Development and Improvement, 2002, United Nations: New York.
- United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODCCP), 2010, ‘From Coercion to Cohesion: Treating Drug Dependence through Health Care, Not Punishment’. Discussion Paper, UNODC Scientific Workshop, United Nations, New York, 28–30 October 2009.
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 2015, World Drug Report- 2016, United Nations, New York.
- White, H.R. and Gorman, D.M., 2002, ‘Dynamics of Drug-Crime Relationship’,Criminal Justice: The Nature of Crime, Continuity and Change 1: 151–218.
- Virkkunen, M. and Linnoila, M., 1993, ‘Brain Serotonin, Type II Alcoholism, and Impulsive Violence’, Journal of Studies on Alcohol Supplement No. 11 (September): 163–69.
References
African Union (AU), 2012, AU Plan of Action on Drug Control (2013–2017) Submitted for Consideration by the 5th Session of the Africa Union Conference of Ministers of Drug Control (CAMDC5), Addis Ababa.
African Union (AU), 2014, Drugs Kill but Bad Policies Kill More: Scaling up Balanced and Integrated Responses Towards Drug Control in Africa, Concept Note for the 6th Session of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Drug Control (CAMDC6), 6–10 October.
Collins, J.J., ed., 1981, Drinking and Crime, New York: Guilford Publications.
Eck, J.E. and Rosenbaum, D.P., 1994, The Challenge of Community Policing: Testing the Promises, London: Sage.
Emmett, T., Butchart, A., Saayman, G. and Lekoba, R., 2000, ‘Community Responses to Crime’ in Emmett, T. and Butchart, A., eds, Behind the Mask: Getting to Grips with Crime and Violence in South Africa, Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council.
Emmett, T., 2003, ‘Social Disorganisation, Social Capital and Violence Prevention in South Africa’, African Safety Promotion: A Journal of Injury and Violence Prevention 1 (4): 4–18.
Ephraim, A., 2014, ‘Nyaope’s Deadly, and Addictive Mix’, http://mg.co.za/article/2014-07-03-hook-line-and-sinker-thats-nyaope, accessed 20 May 2016.
Express and Star, 2014, ‘Drug Arrests after Neighbourhood Watch Members Spot “Suspicious Deals”’, http://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2014/09/18/drugs-arrests-after-neighbourhood-watch-members-spot-suspicious-deals/, accessed 31 May 2016.
Fagan, J., 1990, ‘Intoxication and Aggression’ in Tonry, M. and Wilson, J.Q., eds, Drugs and Crime, Vol. 13, Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Goldstein, P.J., 1985, ‘The Drugs/Violence Nexus: A Tripartite Conceptual Framework’, Journal of Drug Issues 15 (Fall): 493–506.
Goode, E., 2011, Drugs in American Society, New York: McGraw-Hill.
Human Security Handbook., 2016, Human Security Unit., United Nations, New York.
Kawachi, I., Kennedy, B.P. and Wilkinson, R.G., 1999, ‘Crime: Social Disorganisation and Relative Deprivation’, Social Science and Medicine 48: 719–31. Lillington, C., 2015, Family-run Drugs Gangs Smashed by Police with help of Neighbourhood Watch Teams, http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/family-run-drugs-gang-smashed-police-9299076, accessed 31 October 2016.
Majangaza, S., 2016, Top Units to Fight Drugs, Guns. (http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2016/02/27/top-units-to-fight-drugs-guns/) accessed 31 October, 2016.
Maseko, N., 2015, ‘South African Townships’ Addictive Drug Cocktail’, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31620569, accessed 25 May 2016.
Meyer, M. and Van Graan, J.G., 2011, ‘Effective Community Policing in Practice: The Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch Case Study, West Rand’, Acta Criminologica 24 (2): 132–45.
Miczek, K.A., DeBold, J.F., Haney, M., Tidey, J., Vivian, J. and Weerts, E.M., 1994, ‘Alcohol, Drugs of Abuse, Aggression, and Violence’ in Reiss, A.J. and Roth, J.A., eds, Understanding and Preventing Violence, Vol. 3, Washington DC: National Academy Press.
Mills, J.E.A., 2007, ‘Recent Cases of the Cold Blooded Murder of Ghanaians’, http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Recent-Cases-Of-The-Cold-Blooded-Murder-Of-Ghanaians-126999, accessed 31 May 2016.
Mungai, C., 2015a, ‘5 Very Shocking Trends in Illegal Drugs in Africa, including the deadly Heroin-rat poison-ARV mix’, available at http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-03-20-five-dan, accessed 20 May 2016.
Mungai, C., 2015b, ‘The Making of the African Narco-State: Drugs, Crime and Dirty Money are New Big Threats’, available at http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-03-18-the-making-of-a-narco-state, accessed 26 May 2016.
National Youth Development Policy Framework, 2002–07, Towards Integrated National Youth Development Initiatives and Programmes. South Africa.
Protocol on Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region, 2006, Southern African Development Community.
Robins, L.N., 1980. ‘The Natural History of Drug Abuse’. in Lettieri, D., Sayers, M., and Pearson, H.W. Theories on Drug Abuse: Selected Contemporary Perspectives, Maryland: National Institute on Drug Abuse Ross, W., 2013, ‘South Africa’s Craze for Heroin-Marijuana Cocktail’, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-24137003, accessed 25 May 2016.
Shelly, S., 2016, ‘South Africa is Still Fighting an Apartheid-Like Drug War’, https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/south-africa-still-fighting-apartheid-drug-war, accessed 31 October 2016.
South African Government News Agency, 2016, Police Units Swoop on Drug Dens. (http://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/police-units-swoop-drug-dens) 31 October, 2016.
United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. 2002. A Participatory Handbook for Youth Drug Abuse Prevention Programmes: A Guide for Development and Improvement, 2002, United Nations: New York.
United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODCCP), 2010, ‘From Coercion to Cohesion: Treating Drug Dependence through Health Care, Not Punishment’. Discussion Paper, UNODC Scientific Workshop, United Nations, New York, 28–30 October 2009.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 2015, World Drug Report- 2016, United Nations, New York.
White, H.R. and Gorman, D.M., 2002, ‘Dynamics of Drug-Crime Relationship’,Criminal Justice: The Nature of Crime, Continuity and Change 1: 151–218.
Virkkunen, M. and Linnoila, M., 1993, ‘Brain Serotonin, Type II Alcoholism, and Impulsive Violence’, Journal of Studies on Alcohol Supplement No. 11 (September): 163–69.