Pubdate: Thu, 01 Aug 2013
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2013 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Authors: John Ingold and Jeremy P. Meyer

CRIME NEAR POT SHOPS UP

City Statistics Show Slight Increase in Rate Within 1,000 Feet of 
Medical Dispensaries

Nearly one-third of the crimes committed in Denver occur within 1,000 
feet of a medical marijuana dispensary, according to new statistics 
provided by the city Wednesday.

Overall, crime near dispensaries rose slightly in the first half of 
this year. But the statistics provided no evidence that dispensaries 
themselves are driving crime in their surrounding neighborhoods or 
that crimes at medical-marijuana stores are increasing.

Instead, the numbers offer more details-but no conclusions- amid a 
debate that began boiling earlier this week after controversial 
comments by Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey: Have 
medical-marijuana businesses made Denver less or more safe?

According to the figures provided by the city's Department of Safety, 
Denver recorded about 7,000 reported crimes within 1,000 feet of 
dispensaries in the first six months of both 2012 and 2013. Violent 
crimes near dispensaries saw a minuscule uptick in 2013 compared with 
2012. Property crimes saw a slight decrease. Overall, crime near 
dispensaries was up 1.8 percent, in line with the slight increase in 
crime in the whole city for that period.

The numbers provided to The Denver Post include crimes committed at 
dispensaries but do not split such crimes out separately, making it 
impossible to tell how much effect dispensaries have on crime in 
their surrounding neighborhoods. A Denver police spokesman declined 
to speculate on the numbers' significance.

Addressing Denver City Council members Monday, District Attorney 
Mitch Morrissey said a dozen homicides and hundreds of robberies have 
been linked to the medical marijuana industry statewide.

"This is an ugly secret," Morrissey said.

But medical-marijuana advocates challenged Morrissey's statistics - 
which the prosecutor later said were "loose figures." Many of the 
crimes cited were connected to marijuana growers selling pot out of 
their homes-either legally as medical-marijuana caregivers or illegally.

"We've seen from multiple reports based on law enforcement statistics 
that licensed and regulated medical-marijuana facilities do not 
increase crime in surrounding areas, and in fact in many cases, crime 
decreases," said Betty Aldworth of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

A similar report by the Denver Department of Safety for the first 
nine months of 2009 and 2010 found a decrease in crime within 1,000 
feet of a dispensary between those two years. A study published last 
year by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles 
found dispensaries in Sacramento, Calif., did not increase crime in 
their neighborhoods.

But crimes certainly are occurring at medical marijuana dispensaries.

Chris Hageseth, who owns two dispensaries in Denver, said his stores 
have been burglarized a few times. Notoriety, as well as a lack of 
access to banking, meaning many dispensaries operate cash-only, make 
the stores a target for thieves, Hageseth said. But he thinks crime 
at dispensaries is no worse than crime at banks or convenience stores.

"I don't think we are a magnet for crime," Hageseth said."We are like 
any business with a product that is valuable, easily transferrable and small."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom