Geoff Tomson
Return to Police Staff Interviews
This method cost 2%.
“I recently worked a case involving the Secrete Inn. The clerk at the hotel was my informant. The hotel was being investigated for its involvement in the prostitution trade. The clerk said that several women from the area had arrangements with the hotel to bring in paying guests. Several times each night, the girls would return to the hotel, escorting different men. The girls would wait nearby as the man rented a room. An hour later, the man left and the girls returned to the street to find another date. Each time they returned to the hotel, they rented the same room. The hotels made profits renting the room several times a night, and the girls were guaranteed a place to do business. The owner of the hotel pled guilty to lesser building code violations and the more serious charges were dropped.”
Response Revealed
Harass and intimidate prostitutes.
Show/Hide DetailsWhen police have been placed under intense pressure to control street prostitution, yet have lacked adequate legal alternatives for doing so, some have turned to harassing and intimidating prostitutes, in some instances forcing them to relocate to another jurisdiction. There is no evidence that this is at all effective, and it undermines police integrity.
Response Revealed
Suspend or revoke government aid to prostitutes.
Show/Hide DetailsMany street prostitutes receive government aid in one form or another (e.g., for housing, dependent children, unemployment insurance, and/or disability), but would not qualify for such if they reported their prostitution income. You might share arrest and intelligence information with government agencies providing the aid. The threat of losing government aid might compel some prostitutes to quit. For this approach to be viable, adequate social services must be available to help them do so. You should take care not to unduly harm any dependent children.
