What does this measure?

The number of felony and misdemeanor drug arrests per 1,000 residents.

Why is this important?

Drug use, sale and other illegal drug-related activity can have immediate as well as long-term negative health, social and economic consequences, both for individuals and for neighborhoods and communities.

How is our county doing?

In Essex County, almost 740 people were arrested for drug-related crimes in 2024 - a rate of about 0.9 arrests per 1,000 residents. This is slightly higher than the statewide figure of 0.8. Haverhill (1.9), Lynn (1.7), and Lawrence (1.6) had the highest rates in Essex County in 2024. In general, the rate of arrests for drug-related crimes in the County has declined over time from 1.6 in 2015.

How do we compare to similar counties?

Essex County had a higher rate compared to Middlesex, MA at 0.5 and a lower rate than Westchester, NY at 1.2 and Lake County, IL 1.1.

Notes about the data

Comparable national data was not available. The City of Lawrence did not report data prior to 2020. Differences in rates may reflect a variety of factors, including differences in laws and law enforcement priorities, in addition the severity of drug activity in an area.