Aim: To examine the relationship between methamphetamine use and acquisitive offending among police detainees in New Zealand. To determine whether drug use is a better predictor of acquisitive crime or the earnings from acquisitive crime are a better predictor of drug use among police detainees.

Method: A sample of 2,164 police detainees were interviewed about their drug use and earnings from acquisitive crime over the past month. Multiple logistic regression models were developed to predict involvement in acquisitive crime from drug use and other demographic variables. The same models were used to predict involvement in drug use from acquisitive crime. Factorial ANOVA models were then used to predict the level of dollar earnings from acquisitive crime from the number of days of drug use and other demographic variables. The same models were used to predict the number of days of drug use from dollar earnings from acquisitive crime and demographic variables.

Results: Drug use was a predictor of involvement in acquisitive offending, but only the days of methamphetamine use could predict the level of dollar earnings from acquisitive crime. Acquisitive offending could predict involvement in drug use, but in many cases the level of earnings from acquisitive crime could not predict the number of days of drug use. Unemployment, low educational achievement and poor housing were predictors of involvement in property crime but not of drug dealing. Unemployment was a predictor of cannabis and methamphetamine use. Unemployment and poor housing did not predict the level of dollar earnings from acquisitive crime or the number of days of drug use.

Conclusions: Drug treatment programmes targeted at acquisitive offenders who are frequent methamphetamine users may decrease levels of acquisitive crime.