The Effects of Overdose Prevention Centers on Crime: Summary of the Literature

Compiled research from 2003 to 2023 on Crime & Overdose Prevention Centers

Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) also known as: Harm Reduction Centers (HRCs), Safe Injection Sites (SISs), Safe Injection Facilities (SIFs), Safe Consumption Sites (SCSs), Supervised Injection Facilities, Drug Consumption Sites (DCSs), Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs), among others names.

In 2023 the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) opened up U.S. federal funds to research OnPointNYC in New York and Project Weber/RENEW, CODAC in Rhode Island. So, more research to come! In summary, the available research leans towards these facilities having a slightly positive effect to no effect on area crime rates. Common crime indicators studied include: public order/public nuissance (loitering), public trash/litter disposal, instance of visible public injection, and crime rates/arrests in facility vicinity.

1. Roux, P., Jauffret-Roustide, M., Donadille, C., Briand Madrid, L., Denis, C., Célérier, I., Chauvin, C., Hamelin, N., Maradan, G., Carrieri, M. P., Protopopescu, C., Lalanne, L., Auriacombe, M., & COSINUS Study Group (2023). Impact of drug consumption rooms on non-fatal overdoses, abscesses and emergency department visits in people who inject drugs in France: results from the COSINUS cohort. International journal of epidemiology, 52(2), 562–576. | Study found decreased emergency department visits (emergency calls which police often respond to).
2. (Summary) Day, C. A., Salmon, A., Jauncey, M., Bartlett, M., & Roxburgh, A. (2022). Twenty-one years at the Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney: addressing the remaining questions. The Medical journal of Australia, 217(8), 385–387. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51716
3. Levengood TW, Yoon GH, Davoust MJ, Ogden SN, Marshall BDL, Cahill SR, Bazzi AR. Supervised Injection Facilities as Harm Reduction: A Systematic Review. Am J Prev Med. 2021 Nov;61(5):738-749. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.04.017. Epub 2021 Jul 1. PMID: 34218964; PMCID: PMC8541900. | Study found no effect on crime or public nuisance to the surrounding community.
4. Davidson, P. J., Lambdin, B. H., Browne, E. N., Wenger, L. D., & Kral, A. H. (2021). Impact of an unsanctioned safe consumption site on criminal activity, 2010–2019. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 220, 108521 | Study found overall decrease in crime rates. No change in narcotic/drug incidents, incident reports relating to assault, burglary, larceny theft, and robbery. The Intervention area had a statistically significant decline in crime over the post-intervention period compared to Control area 2.
5. Kral, A. H., Lambdin, B. H., Wenger, L. D., Browne, E. N., Suen, L. W., & Davidson, P. J. (2021). Improved syringe disposal practices associated with unsanctioned safe consumption site use: A cohort study of people who inject drugs in the United States. Drug and alcohol dependence, 229(Pt A), 109075. | Study found less public disposal of trash/litter.
6. León, C., Cardoso, L. J. P., Johnston, S., Mackin, S., Bock, B., & Gaeta, J. M. (2018). Changes in public order after the opening of an overdose monitoring facility for people who inject drugs. The International journal on drug policy, 53, 90–95. | This Boston, Massachusetts USA study examines a Supportive Place for Observation and Treatment (SPOT) (a low-threshold harm reduction program for monitoring people who have injected drugs with risk of overdose) finding a significant decrease in visible observation of over-sedated individuals in public. No change in injection-drug related public order.
7. Myer, A. J., & Belisle, L. (2018). Highs and Lows: An Interrupted Time-Series Evaluation of the Impact of North America’s Only Supervised Injection Facility on Crime. Journal of Drug Issues, 48(1), 36–49. Decrease in crime in the district where the supervised injection facility is located.
8. Potier, C., Laprévote, V., Dubois-Arber, F., Cottencin, O., & Rolland, B. (2014). Supervised injection services: what has been demonstrated? A systematic literature review. Drug and alcohol dependence, 145, 48–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.10.012 | A review of supervised consumption sites examined 75 studies on supervised injection sites in Europe and Canada finding that facilities were associated with improvements in public order and reduced drug-related crime, such as drug dealing and drug-related litter/trash.
9. Drug Policy in 2009 reported a decline in some types of drug-related crime in the area surrounding Insite (Wood & Tyndall, 2009).
10. Salmon, A. M., Thein, H. H., Kimber, J., Kaldor, J. M., & Maher, L. (2007). Five years on: what are the community perceptions of drug-related public amenity following the establishment of the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre? The International journal on drug policy, 18(1), 46–53. | A series of surveys in Sydney found that area residents and business owners had experienced a sustained decline in exposure to public injection and discarded syringes following the opening of the SIF. No changes reported on survey respondents being approached to buy drugs.
11. (Summary) Wood, E., Tyndall, M. W., Montaner, J. S., & Kerr, T. (2006). Summary of findings from the evaluation of a pilot medically supervised safer injecting facility. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal, 175(11), 1399–1404.
12. Kerr, T., Stoltz, J. A., Tyndall, M., Li, K., Zhang, R., Montaner, J., & Wood, E. (2006). Impact of a medically supervised safer injection facility on community drug use patterns: a before and after study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 332(7535), 220–222. | Study reports no significant change in community impact, that would offset other researched benefits.
13. Wood, E., Tyndall, M.W., Lai, C. et al. Impact of a medically supervised safer injecting facility on drug dealing and other drug-related crime. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy, 13 (2006). | Study found no increase in drug trafficking or assaults/robbery. Decline in vehicle break-ins/vehicle theft.
14. Freeman, K., Jones, C. G., Weatherburn, D. J., Rutter, S., Spooner, C. J., & Donnelly, N. (2005). The impact of the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) on crime. Drug and alcohol review, 24(2), 173–184. | No change in theft or robbery incidents, no change in drug use or supply offences attributed to centre, small increase in 'total' loitering.
15. Wood, E., Kerr, T., Small, W., Li, K., Marsh, D. C., Montaner, J. S., & Tyndall, M. W. (2004). Changes in public order after the opening of a medically supervised safer injecting facility for illicit injection drug users. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal, 171(7), 731–734. | Safer injecting facility was independently associated with improvements in several measures of public order, including reduced public injection drug use and public syringe disposal.
16. MSIC Evaluation Committee, Sydney, N.S.W. (2003). Final report on the evaluation of the Sydney medically supervised injecting centre (MSIC). Retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/final-report-evaluation-sydney-medically-supervised-injecting | Significant reduction in observed instances of public injection, reduced syringe trash/injection-related litter. No change in crime and/or drug dealing in the vicinity. No change in new usage or cessation.