Independent clause starting with 'it' and commas.

In the example below, can it be said that the second sentence has two independent clauses, so a comma is needed before 'and'? I am asking this because the second sentence starts with an 'It' where the 'it' is referring to a subject in the previous sentence (see the first sentence below). I am not sure whether 'it has caused sleepless nights to the police" and "is the root cause of street violence in these areas" are two independent clauses. To reframe the question, if the subject is not clearly defined in a sentence (and referred to by 'it', etc.), can the sentence still have two or more independent clauses?

Example:

The drug trade is rampant in this region. It has caused sleepless nights for the police and is the root cause of street violence in these areas.