November 16, 2006
Seattle prostitution sting
"Prostitution sting leads to nearly 100 arrests"
Rented furnishings and hidden cameras were among the props Seattle police vice detectives used to arrest nearly 100 men who showed up at a ritzy downtown condo in the past two weeks expecting to pay for sex.
Nearly three-fourths of the men who were arrested on suspicion of patronizing a prostitute responded to postings in the "erotic services" category on craigslist ... The rest answered escort ads found in the back pages of The Stranger and Seattle Weekly
Entrapping people for discreetly soliciting the world's oldest profession? If the prostitutes are underage, literally forced into this, or are displaying themselves, say, across the street from a middle school, then prostitution would be an appropriate priority for law enforcement. Otherwise, I'd prefer the Seattle police concentrate on the violent crimes, car thefts, home invasion robberies, etc. that are a bigger problem.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at November 16, 2006
10:06 AM | Email This
1. Put this one in there with the "investigations" into strippers staying 4 feet away from customers and jaywalking tickets. It's difficult to hear complaints from the police department how there are not enough officers to prevent street crimes and theft when they are using resources for things like this.
2. Legalize it, tax it, regulate it.
3. Excuse me, but I think the world's oldest profession is politics. I know it is difficult to tell the difference most of the time, but at least sometimes with prostitution the john/taxpayer gets to choose how his money is spent, and gets a nice memory. With politics, we all just get screwed.
4. Just a question. Is it really possible to isolate an economic activity in a global economy? Didn't former Congressman Miller just retire from an agency which deals with the trafficking of sex slaves? Aren't underage children from all over the globe forced into the "game" or prostitution?
Isn't the situation when looked at from a global perspective a bit more complicated than simply what goes on between consenting adults. I don't have studies and I suppose it can be argued from a variety of perspectives, but isn't there a cluster of crimes which are involved with prostitution like coercion of prostitutes by pimps, drugs, and violent crimes against customers? Is this issue more complex than being represented?
5. That was more than one question.
6. If there was some evidence that people were being forced into prostitution or that a ring was targeting kids, then by all means investigate it. I don't think that was the case here.
7. #5 You are right, I can't do math.
#6 Are all the facts out in the craig's list case?
a. Do the police reports indicate where the
various parties come from?
b. Do the police reports, if they are able,
indicate the ages of the parties? Sometimes
that is initially difficult - e.g. the
undergrads with phony IDs.
c. Have there been crimes against customers
that haven't been reported because if one
is participating in prostitution, one might
not report.
My point is there is a lot this is not known at this time.
8. To #4: "isn't there a cluster of crimes which are involved with prostitution like coercion of prostitutes by pimps, drugs, and violent crimes" There always will be when we make things illegal, simply because they are immoral, in the 20s we had mobs associated with alcholol, we currently have gangs associated with drugs. Which is why you recognize things like alcholol, tobacco, drugs, and prostitution are not going away (as much as I would like to see it from a moral perspective)so without trying to sound flip, I say: Legalize it, tax it, and regulate it.
9. police work, true, & way easier than have crazy meth heads shoot back at you or have to taze them. or gangs popping off their automatic weapons at you.
johns are easy to bust & usually are docile at arrest. it also pumps up the arrest stats without getting sued out the kazoo by minority and other interest groups, say, when you bust a perp of any ethnic or fanatical religious ilk.
as for the collateral crime involved with it, yes, it's sometimes worthwhile. sometimes one stumbles on a crime ring or bigger fish. periodic sweeps in different crime types are good--keeps perps on toes.
10. Institute some quality standards while you are at it.....
11. You're right WVH, all the facts are not out. But, based on the information we DO have, we can form an opinion on it, and since there is no evidence of violence, targeting kids or people being forced into it, I think it's a waste of resources. Maybe something will come out later indicating these things and it will change my opinion.
12. Why is it fine for sodomy to be alright between consenting adults behind closed door, but prostitution isn't?
13. #11
At least you are willing to consider facts. It will be interesting to see what comes out of the investigation.
14. I've never figured out why it's a crime to sell something that it's OK to give away.
15. If someone ran an ad on Craigslist that said "Come over and I'll hump your brains out for free" that's OK, but say "I'll hump your brains out for $10" then it's a crime. Weird.
16. What I haven't been able to figure is why it's legal to pay somebody to have sex on camera when making a porn movie, but it's not legal to pay the same person for a private performance.
17. A similar question, if gambling is illegal in Washington (except on reservations) then why is it legal to advertise off reservation for the illegal activity? Shouldn't the ads also be restricted to reservations?
IMO police have more important crimes to investigate than sex between consenting adults. Bet they upped hits for craigslist.
18. #15 and #16, both great points. I don't know either. The fact is that anyone responding to a personal ad on craigslist looking for someone of the opposite (or same) sex is paying for sex, albeit indirectly in most cases.
19. I heard they never caught Poozler. Lucky guy
20. If "customers" are afraid they will be apprehended, therefore, they refrain from the temptation and maybe get a girlfriend, then there will be less demand for "rings" and child trafficking. Why not make the "customers" nervous?
21. The "fees" paid by working girls in the earliest days of Seattle kept the city afloat through some difficult times. I bet that if Nickels legalized prostitution and taxed it, he could fully fund his tunnel, just an idea your honor.
22. If they spent this amount of manpower on catching felons with outstanding warrants maybe Officer Beth Nowak would still be alive today.
23. If "customers" are afraid they will be apprehended, therefore, they refrain from the temptation and maybe get a girlfriend, then there will be less demand for "rings" and child trafficking. Why not make the "customers" nervous?
This is like saying that if we randomly arrest drug users out there then we will curtail drug trafficking or cartels. C'mon...be realistic.
24. The easy way around this is to just claim that you have trouble with the english language, have landscaping experience, and were looking for a *mow* job.
25. The vice unit launched its elaborate investigation after receiving numerous community complaints about prostitutes advertising on craigslist
Quite an investment in resources for a police department that's too busy, too under-staffed and too under-funded to devote time to car prowls. High numbers of prowls that are committed in the same areas, on the same days, at the same times.
Known high-crime car prowl areas warrant only warning signs. Community complaints about ads warrant actual police work.
Ya gotta love Metronatural Town.
26. "Elaborate investigation"? Yeah, right. I'm a frequent john and I'm here to tell ya there ain't nothin' elaborate about it.
BTW, it was funny to see those topless pics of vice decoys on CL last week.
27. Now if we can just get the police to enforce the law when it comes to bums peeing in doorways or otherwise URINATING IN PUBLIC, then coming downtown to look for a hooker or for other purposes might be a little more pleasant.