HESPERIA SMOKE SHOPS

Hesperia is located 35 miles north of San Bernardino, 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles and 195 miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada at the intersection of Highway 395 and Interstate 15. With an elevation of 3,250 feet, Hesperia’s incorporated area encompasses roughly 74.77 square miles. An adopted sphere of influence extends its geographic reach by 32 square miles.

In February 2008, The Institute for Public Strategies and Vista Guidance Center partnered to address the issue of retailers that sell drug paraphernalia, also known as “smoke shops,” which was discussed at the November 7th, 2007 City Council meeting. Some members of the City Council felt there were too many smoke shops along the main corridor of Hesperia and expressed the need for more control as to where these busineses could operate. As a result, an environmental scan of smoke shops was conducted and eight were identified, of which seven were along Main Street, the main corridor for the City of Hesperia.

A preliminary report, written to summarize the findings of the environmental scan, was presented to elected officials in the City of Hesperia .

Target communities were identified by looking at specific areas known to be “hot spots” for crime and/or are identified by city officials as areas of concern. See Hesperia Smoke Shop Locator Map Working in a target area is much more feasible for providers because it allows them to focus their resources in one specific area of a community.