ISAC Releases Special Research Brief on Drug and Alcohol Related Crime in Idaho

The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) is pleased to announce the release of a special issue of its research brief series on drug and alcohol related crime in Idaho. Drug & Alcohol Related Crime Trends, 2005 – 2024 presents analysis of data from the Idaho Incident-Based Reporting System (IIBRS), which now houses 20 years of Idaho crime data, illustrating how the nature of drug and alcohol related crime in Idaho has changed since 2005. The brief also includes state-level data analysis, as well as county-level arrest rates by drug type for 2024.

Some key state-level findings:

 — Although the rate of total drug and alcohol offenses fluctuated slightly between 2005 (19.1 offenses per 1,000 residents) and 2024 (16.7), the drug offense rate increased 38% during that time (from 8.8 to 12.1) while the alcohol offense rate decreased 55% (from 10.3 to 4.6).

 — In 2024, nearly a quarter (24%) of all offenses reported to IIBRS by law enforcement were drug or alcohol offenses, up from 9% in 2005 (the lowest point in that 20-year span).

 — Demographic data indicates that drug and alcohol arrestees tended to be older in 2024 (average arrestee age was 33.8 years old) than in 2005 (27 years old).

 — A larger share of arrestees were women (29% in 2024, compared to 24% in 2005) and racial/ethnic minorities (68% of arrestees were white and non-Hispanic in 2024, compared to 82% in 2005).

 — The percentage of person/property crime offenders suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs during the commission of those crimes nearly doubled to 9.6% in 2024 (up from 5.2% in 2005).

The full research brief is available in the ISAC Publication Library. Additionally, readers can explore the full dataset using ISAC’s Crime in Idaho Data Dashboard.

The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) is located within the Pass-Through Grants and Research Department of the Idaho State Police. The mission of ISAC is to disseminate research, data and statistics related to crime, illegal drugs, victim services, and the administration of justice in Idaho. To learn more about ISAC, or to access other data dashboards and publications, visit our website at https://isp.idaho.gov/pgr/sac/.

Posted in Grant Publications (PGR), Research Publications (PGR)