Denverrite.com: Property crime increased where Denver pot shops popped up

A study released Wednesday in the Justice Evaluation Journal links an increase in nonviolent crime in Denver with the legalization of marijuana.

The study looked at crime rates from 2011 to 2016 on 187 blocks where dispensaries opened following legalization. Blocks with recreational dispensaries saw an 18 percent increase in property crime when compared to areas without any. Property crime includes offenses like theft, burglary and car break-ins.

While the rate of violent and drug-related crimes rose near dispensaries, they rose elsewhere, too.

Two different studies released earlier this year both focused on Denver crime statistics down to the neighborhood level. One study from the University of Colorado found that neighborhoods with more dispensaries had a more significant increase in crime. Another study, from researchers with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, showed that crime decreased in neighborhoods with dispensaries…