Crime and Socio-Spatial Segregation: An Investigation into Drug Dealing in Sardinia

The examination of illicit activities within urban settings has been a longstanding focus of urban studies, with an emphasis on the spatial dimension. Previous research has underlined the unique characteristics that either foster or deter crime in specific locations (Brantingham, Brantingham 1978, 1981; Eck, Weisburd 1995). This approach has consistently highlighted the intricate connection between crime, segregation, and spatial marginalisation. Drug dealing, as a pervasive phenomenon, extends its influence across various urban areas where both illegal and legal activities coexist. This cohabitation often involves the sharing of spaces and resources, occasional encounters, and more frequently, a mutual tolerance. The physical proximity and social distance between these ‘parallel worlds’ trigger spatial and social segregation, leading to self-segregation. On the one hand, illicit practices in urban areas have the potential to discourage alternative and legitimate uses of spaces. On the other hand, a lack of social control can boost illicit activities, placing vulnerable individuals at risk of engaging in deviant behaviours. The pervasiveness of drug dealing exacerbates segregation and self-segregation, reshaping the peripherality of central urban areas (Petrillo 2013, 2018). This phenomenon challenges the conventional association between crime and spatial periphery. Furthermore, the widespread nature of drug dealing raises concerns regarding the limited opportunities for young people, who may be persuaded by “easy profits” and subsequently recruited into criminal groups. These findings have emerged from an extensive study on drug dealing in Sardinia conducted by OSCRIM (Social Observatory on Development and Crime in Sardinia, University of Sassari, Italy) from 2017 to 2022. The research highlights that urban drug dealing manifests distinct forms of segregation and marginalization in metropolitan cities (Cagliari) and smaller municipalities (Olbia).