RACE AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF DRUG DELIVERY LAWS IN ...

did not transfer drugs to the buyer could be observed, this information was also
recorded. Thus, an individual transaction could involve both multiple deliverers
and multiple buyers.
Observation times were broken into two-hour blocks. These two-hour blocks
were limited to times of previously observed drug activity, i.e. between 10:00 am
and 10:00 pm for the downtown area, and between 12:00 pm and 12:00 am for the
Capitol Hill area. Both prior and recent preliminary ethnographic observations
indicated that drug activity begins and ends slightly earlier downtown than in
Capitol Hill. Thirty hours of observation were conducted in the downtown area
and 28 hours were conducted on Capitol Hill. Two-hour time blocks from within
the “windows” identified previously were randomly selected over a three-week
period. Each time slot was selected using a random number generator. Given the
nature of true randomization, certain days ended up with no observation times,
while others had as many as three. The perceived race of all individuals involved
in each transaction was recorded in the observation log kept by the team of
observers. The date and location of transactions, along with any unusual
circumstances (e.g. police presence, obstructed views, or inclement weather) was
also noted in the observation log.
Insofar as these observations include only those who have direct contact with
drug buyers and deliver drugs outdoors, they likely over-represent the poor and
therefore people of color. Nonetheless, the results of this study indicate that the
majority (59.8 percent) of those observed obtaining drugs outdoors in these two
neighborhoods (combined) were white. Of the others, 28.2 percent were black,
7.3 percent were Hispanic and 3.1 percent were Native American. Moreover, in
each of the outdoor markets in which observations were conducted, the majority
of the persons observed purchasing drugs were white (see Table 5).
The data thus indicate that a variety of serious drugs are widely used and abused
by those living in Seattle. These include cocaine, which is smoked, snorted and
injected; ecstasy (MDMA); methamphetamine and other stimulants; heroin and
other opiates; sedatives; tranquilizers; inhalants and hallucinogens. General
surveys indicate that ecstasy and powder cocaine are most commonly used by
Seattle residents as a whole; among youth, hallucinogens and stimulants are also
quite popular. Treatment admission data also indicate that a number of
substances are abused by Seattle residents, primarily cocaine (of all forms),
heroin and amphetamines. Research by researchers at Public Health—Seattle &
King County, the needle exchange survey results, and treatment admission data
all indicate that comparatively low rates of heroin consumption reported in
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