“We did not observe any increase in crime or disorder or any of the things that people worry about when they see an overdose prevention site opening,” Brandon del Pozo, an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University and a former NYPD precinct commander, told the Times.

It’s a powerful claim, especially coming from a former New York City cop. The report he coauthored notes, but downplays, an increase in “aggravated assaults,” and focuses instead on “overall” crime.

Per the report: “There is evidence of a comparative 30.4% increase in aggravated assaults, offset by a 19.7% decrease in simple assaults. While interpreting these estimates is speculative, we note the distinction between aggravated and simple assaults can be arbitrary, depending on how an incident is reported and the use of police discretion in how it is classified. Neither result was statistically significant.”

But the report’s own detailed data in fact shows a statistically significant and meaningful increase in aggravated assaults in the vicinities of the safe-injection sites relative to the control-site vicinities.

[The study’s authors largely avoid the association rather than repudiate it. Property crime appears to be insignificantly impacted by these sites, which is interesting as well, but the community’s need for safety is more acutely focused on violent crime — and opening magnets for drug users appears to have a predictable impact on safety as defined in those terms. — Ed]