Experts defend council over survey incentives for drug dealers

UK-- Social researchers have rallied to defend the practice of offering incentives to respondents in hard-to-reach corners of society after Lambeth Council was criticised for paying Brixton-based drug dealers £20 to take part in a survey.

The council, working with Kings College, carried out a survey 18 months ago to help shape its new strategy for tackling drug use and offered cash incentives to around 40 dealers.

Some consumer groups reacted angrily to the news that drug dealers were paid for taking part, and Conservative MP Patrick Mercer told the Daily Mail that “the idea of paying criminals is grotesque”.

Mark Wallace, campaign director at the Tax Payers' Alliance, an organisation lobbying for lower taxes, said it was “disgusting” that dealers had been paid out of the public purse.

He told Research: “Lambeth tax payers will find it outrageous that their hard-earned money is being paid to criminals.”

Wallace said he understood the practice of offering incentives for research studies, but said “there is a world of difference between asking someone what fish fingers they like and handing over cash to people taking part in illegal activities”.

However, social researcher Simon Danczuk, director of public affairs research agency Vision Twentyone, said Lambeth was “absolutely right” to pay the respondents in this case.

He said: “You can't get a response without offering an incentive. It's quite reasonable to offer something and this has become a mountain out of a molehill.

“People criticising this need to get real – everyone's time has value.”

Nigel Goldie, executive director of the Social Research Association, said: “It is extremely difficult to get access to drug users and dealers if some sort of incentive isn't provided.”

As to whether cash should have been used as the incentive in this study, he said: “There can be a problem when you pay using public funds, but you have to wonder what the wider public good is – the cash is a small amount compared to the damage caused by drugs.”

Goldie also questioned whether the respondents in this survey really could be classed as ‘drug dealers'. He said from his experience of surveying drug users, people on the streets would be “miles away from the Mr Big characters higher up the chain” and were more likely to be drug users dabbling in the selling process.

A council spokeswoman said: “This was a complex issue and we needed detailed intelligence to work with the police to tackle it, which is why we interviewed dealers as part of our research in 2007. In line with good research practice, a small payment was offered so that people would take part, and the entire research methodology was cleared by Kings College Ethics Committee.”

Lambeth Council received an award from the Home Office for the research and the resulting action plan.

Author: James Verrinder