Advocates for Community Transformation: Using the civil justice system to tackle drug houses and empower residents

Abstract Research Summary Traditionally, the criminal justice system has been responsible for addressing crime, but civil law can also play an important role in reducing crime problems. Drawing on the principles of situational crime prevention, this study examines an innovative approach to tackling drug houses in Dallas, TX. The program supports resident‐led enforcement of nuisance abatement laws to hold property owners accountable for crime occurring at their properties. Between 2021 and 2024, the program successfully resolved 48 nuisance properties, primarily single‐family homes associated with narcotics and violent crime, through remedies consisting of tenant eviction, property rehabilitation, or demolition. Using annual crime incident data from 2017 to 2025, this study evaluates changes in crime at treated nuisance properties ( n = 48) and within a 0.1‐mi radius compared with post hoc comparison properties ( n = 55). A staggered difference‐in‐differences design using the Callaway and Sant'Anna estimator was employed to account for variation in treatment timing across properties. Results indicate that the program produced significant reductions in crime at treated properties and in the surrounding area following intervention, with minimal evidence of differential pre‐intervention trends. Survey data from participating residents further provide insights into perceived improvements in neighborhood safety and community cohesion following program implementation. Policy Implications The program is the first that we know of that equips residents to fight crime on their street using the civil justice system. By using nuisance abatement laws to address narcotics activity at properties that affect public safety and health, the program aims to target the drugs and crime associated with single residences, disrupting crime and modifying the environment of the street, and empowering residents to prevent future crime.