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Article #11: Ways to control prostitution

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A multi-modality approach to prostitution funding above that typically directed at
control, when combined with public and the problem. Departments and
private support, offers the best chance municipalities will of necessity need to
to accomplish the legitimate social end seek additional traditional and
of controlling prostitution. Discussions non-traditional funding sources for these
with interviewed personnel and a review efforts, including public grants as well
of the relevant literature suggested a as public-private partnerships.
number of distinctions that are helpful A particularly weighty objection to
in articulating the features of this type typical attempts to control prostitution
of approach. A fundamental distinction is arises in the context of research into
made between enforcement strategies and the effectiveness of crime control
abatement strategies. Enforcement strategies. As the analysis of the
strategies are those that focus department survey revealed, many
department and municipality control departments confine their prostitution
efforts on enforcing existing laws control efforts to those strategies
forbidding prostitution and related traditionally associated with the
activities. Abatement strategies, on the "Professional Model" of policing.
other hand, are those that focus control Unfortunately, these strategies are given
efforts on preventing or interrupting the mixed reviews by current crime control
commission of the offenses by reducing or effectiveness research (Moore 1992:
removing the precipitating conditions 128ff.). Sherman’s exhaustive survey of
necessary for their commission. A related crime control strategies (Sherman, et al.
distinction is drawn between reactive and 1997) finds little evidence for the
proactive control efforts.21 While by effectiveness of rapid 911 responses,
definition enforcement strategies, random patrolling, or primarily reactive
predicated as they are on the commission patterns of law enforcement. The
of an offense, are reactive, abatement currently popular trend toward community
strategies can be either reactive or policing fares little better. When
proactive in nature. A third distinction inadequately or poorly implemented, this
highlights the specific nature of the approach replicates the weaknesses of the
offender’s relationship to the offense. "Professional Model" (Bennett 1998: 391).
Thus, while many of the strategies To the extent that prostitution control
discussed below can be applied with equal efforts are dominated by these sorts of
success to prostitutes, clients or approaches, a healthy skepticism of their
facilitators, abatement strategies effectiveness seems appropriate. Happily,
frequently require specification by type research on crime control strategies
of offender. attests to the effectiveness of other
Though the case for the energetic relatively common types of enforcement
implementation of prostitution control and abatement efforts. Directed patrols,
efforts may seem obviously justified, proactive enforcement arrests, targeting
there are important practical objections of known criminogenic locations, and
to the expenditure of the political, related "problem-oriented" policing
social, and material resources necessary strategies have shown substantial
to implement such efforts.22 Before evidence of crime prevention (Sherman
turning to an examination of proposed 1992, Moore 1992).
enforcement and abatement strategies, While as noted above, little of this
these objections must be considered. research has explicitly considered the
A common objection to an increased focus issues surrounding prostitution control,
on prostitution control points to the the general effectiveness of currently
perceptions of the relative lack of available and utilized control mechanisms
seriousness of prostitution as an offense justifies their implementation in
relative to other forms of criminality. prostitution specific forms. Indeed, not
How can expansion of prostitution control only is their use justified in the case
efforts be justified in the face of of prostitution, their implementation in
public indifference to prostitution? this context may have the significant
Research on public perceptions of crime benefit of encouraging department or
consistently find that the public has agency wide implementation.
only limited interest in the enforcement Another significant objection to
of laws against non-violent, consensual targeting prostitution for control is the
crimes like prostitution and drug use and possibility that such efforts may merely
a high degree of skepticism about the displace the criminal activity to an area
effectiveness of such enforcement not being actively targeted. This
(Roberts and Stalans 1998). Even high displacement can take a number of forms.
profile campaigns, such as the War on Offenders can change locations. They can
Drugs, are viewed with significant change the times of offending and they
cynicism by the public . This general can switch the type of crime they commit
perception is consistent with the (Barr and Pease 1990: 279). Clearly, if
attitudes of a number of the officers enforcement or abatement strategies
surveyed, who ranked prostitution below a result in significant displacement of
wide range of other forms of criminality criminal activity, their effectiveness as
in terms of seriousness of offense. This prostitution control strategies would be
general perception helps explain the significantly limited. While there have
secondary status afforded prostitution been few studies of displacement effects
control efforts by these officers. relative to prostitution control, there
Despite the common perception of is some evidence that such displacement
prostitution’s relative lack of can occur, with unfortunate consequences.
seriousness among the public and even An example of this sort of displacement
among some law enforcement personnel, it is revealed by the shift from
would be incautious to conclude that such prostitution to drug dealing under
a perception should guide policy increased law enforcement pressure
formation. When reminded of the harms (Harris, et al. 1999a: 22). Another study
commonly flowing from prostitution, suggests that displacement can occur
officers initially skeptical of under pressure of police targeting of a
prostitution control efforts typically notorious prostitution market (Mcnamara
revised their assessments. This is 1994). On the other hand, a frequently
consistent with the general recognition cited study found that an increased
that perception is directly correlated police presence and changes to traffic
with the possession of relevant patterns significantly curtailed the
information. Even on the assumption that number and frequency of prostitutes
policy formation should be a direct working the streets in the area, but did
reflection of public sentiment, it seems not displace them to adjacent
fair to assume that a greater exposure to neighborhoods (Matthews 1992). A review
accurate information about the extent and of studies on crime displacement
implications of prostitution would (Hesseling 1995) found significant
strengthen public support for variation in the level of displacement
prostitution control efforts. Personnel detected across studies and
interviewed in the police department of methodologies, ultimately agreeing with
St. Petersburg, FL credit a sustained others (Barr and Pease 1990, Eck 1993)
public information campaign with the rise who have argued that even when
in awareness about the extent and displacement occurs it does not overwhelm
seriousness of the prostitution problem other gains from blocking crime
in the city and the development of the opportunities. Given that displacement
support necessary for their successful does not appear to be inevitable, and
prostitution control efforts (Getz 1996). that in at least some instances it can be
Another objection, one that frequently benign (Barr and Pease 1990: 284ff.),
relies on claims about the perception of concerns over possible displacement do
the relative seriousness of prostitution not pose any substantial burden for
as an offense, highlights the costs of advocates of a range of prostitution
controlling prostitution. These costs are control efforts. Of course, evidence of
not trivial; they include expenditures malign displacement resulting from
for personnel to arrest and adjudicate specific control strategies should be
prostitution offenders, the financial and taken seriously in any review of the
opportunity costs lost to the control of effectiveness of these efforts.
other forms of criminality as a result of On the assumption then that the control
these expenditures, the funds necessary of prostitution is a legitimate social
to support the recommended diversionary end, and that the substantial
and social service mechanisms, and the contravening arguments have been
political, social and financial capital sufficiently answered, The Commission
required to educate the public about the recommends the adoption of a
problem and generate the required public multi-modality approach to prostitution
and community support. For departments control that includes both the specific
and municipalities working with limited enforcement and abatement strategies
public funds, securing the required recommended below. It is the considered
resources can be difficult. Even if judgment of the Commission, bolstered by
prostitution control is a legitimate the historical ineffectiveness of
public end, this objection asserts, traditional, enforcement centered
limited public funds should be directed approaches, that a commitment to
at more urgent needs. Despite the prostitution control that fails to pursue
appropriateness of concerns over the both enforcement and abatement strategies
costs of prostitution control efforts, has little chance of success, and a
however, they do not amount to a telling significant likelihood of exacerbating
objection to these efforts. Rather, they the very social problems that it seeks to
place a premium on maximizing the reduce. What follows is a discussion of
effectiveness of the control strategies the specific enforcement and abatement
implemented. Obviously, a substantial strategies recommended by the Commission.
prostitution control effort will require






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