PENGARUH PENYALAHGUNAAN NARKOTIKA TERHADAP TINDAK PIDANA PENCURIAN DI KOTA KENDARI (Studi di Polres Kota Kendari)

Abstract

This study analyzes the influence of narcotics abuse on theft crimes in Kendari City, through a case study at Kendari District Police (Polres Kendari). Indonesia faces significant challenges in combating narcotics abuse, with over 4 million users recorded in 2022 and a rising trend, particularly in urban areas like Kendari. Narcotics abuse not only damages individual health but also triggers criminal behavior such as theft due to economic pressures to sustain addiction. Kendari City has seen an increase in theft cases over the past five years, with most perpetrators being narcotics addicts who use stolen goods to purchase addictive substances. This phenomenon is driven by economic, psychological, social environment, lack of family supervision, and weak law enforcement factors. Relevant laws, such as Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics and Article 362 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on theft, impose severe penalties, yet implementation faces resource constraints.This empirical descriptive-qualitative research employs primary data from interviews with perpetrators, police, and rehabilitation officers, alongside secondary data from literature and statistics by BNN and Polres Kendari. Data collection techniques include literature review and in-depth interviews, analyzed thematically to reveal causality patterns. Narcotics abuse significantly escalates theft crimes through an addiction cycle, with case examples of perpetrators stealing during withdrawal ("sakau"). Driving factors include poverty, peer influence, and inadequate rehabilitation, aligning with Merton's strain theory and Sutherland's differential association. Prevention efforts by police, BNN, and communities involve socialization, rehabilitation, and spiritual guidance, though hampered by limited facilities. The study recommends strengthening rehabilitation, early education, economic empowerment, and inter-agency coordination to break the narcotics-theft nexus.