San Diego Police arrested the highest concentration of drug offenders in the southeast corner of the East Village last year, but it’s certainly not the city’s only drug hotspot. El Cajon Boulevard, Ocean Beach and some southeastern neighborhoods also play host to higher levels of illegal drug activity, according to interviews and an analysis of San Diego Police data.
The maps below represents where police reported making more than four drug arrests last year. Red markers designate the approximate location of 26 or more arrests. Blue markers between 11 and 25. Green markers between five and 10.
To be clear, these maps represent where drug arrests are concentrated and not necessarily the most active drug areas. If a neighborhood had heavy drug activity, but didn’t attract multiple police arrests, it would not appear on the maps.
One side note: You might notice a large concentration of drug arrests along El Cajon Boulevard near Talmadge. That’s the same area where a group of residents patrol at night and call police when they see problems. My colleague, Kelly Bennett, wrote a great profile of the group last summer.
— KEEGAN KYLE