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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1982)
Page 2 Portland Observer. October 6, 1982 Is 'red light' district the answer? OLBE INSURANCE SERVICES A h In dipH ndtH l AgHHI by Nathaniel Scott wouldn’t have to worry about getting ripped o ff.” The position o f the Police Bureau, dram atized by C h ie f Ron S t ill’ s march participation several weeks ago, is more “ jail bed space.” Dave Simpson, public information officer with the Police Bureau, said, “ W e w ill have to have more ja il space or the community will have to accept this (prostitution).” He adds that “ we are making more arrests for p ro stitu tio n than ever b e fo re .” Captain Tobin said the “ vast major ity o f those arrests were made in the North and Northeast.” North Portland residents have de clared war on the “ w o rld ’s oldest profession.” prostitution. Two N orth /N o rth east neighbor hood leaders, Sharon McCormack, North Portland’s crime coordinator, and Edna M . Robertson, Notheast neighborhood office coordinator, say legalizing is the answer to Port land’s prostitution problem. To dramatize the influx o f prosti tutes in the North area, specifically in the vicin ity o f U n io n A venue, residents marched and held a rally to demonstrate their "m o ral outrage” for what North Portland considers a “ lack o f police protection.” Several months ago citizens in the Albina area hung street-wide banners decrying prostitution and named the recipients o f th e ir services — “ Johns” — in an attempt to shame fully drive away the unsavory prac tices. But, if there is any truth to the saying that “ P ro s titu tio n is the world’s oldest profession,” it lingers on. Because o f the outcry generated and the eroding effects o f prostitu tion, particularly in residential areas, the Observer interviewed neighbor hood leaders, individuals from the Portland Police Bureau, prostitutes, and both professionals and non- professional citizens who live in the greater Portland area. M s. M cC o rm ack and M s. Robertson contend that prostitution needs to be legal and that designated areas, “ red light districts,” should be set aside for those o f legal age who wish to be prostitutes. They rationalize that a "red light d is trict” would be removed from SJC'’ residential areas; that the police could better prevent teenagers from engag The Police Bureau stat sheet on ing in prostitution; and that the at p ro stitu tio n shows a constant in mosphere would be far better than crease: 493 arrests in 1979; 701 in what exists. 1980; 1206 in 1981, and thus far into “ There have been (and still are) 1982, 837 arrests w ith a projected designated areas where prostitution total o f 1592 arrests by year’s end. is common knowledge as far as peo Simpson claims that the county ple knowing where to g o ,” says commissioners, led by Commissioner Robert Tobin, captain o f the drugs Caroline M iller, who has advocated and vice department. He added that for alternative programs since taking he is against legalizing prostitution office, are in part to blame for not with designated “ red light districts” adhering to the many pleas for more because that would create a barrage ja il space at Claire Argow. This, in o f criminal acts: muggings, thefts, the police’s point of view, leaves them vandalism from cars and so forth. lacking in the area o f threat. M ore The idea of a “ red light district,” over, he says, the prostitutes are similar to some in Nevada, "Mustang given minimum fines to ensure that Ranch” for instance, which Captain they can pay. O therw ise, the Tobin said hasn’t worked, was over women’s detention center would be whelmingly embraced by prostitutes. taxed to a greater degree than what “ 1 would love it. I wouldn’t object it is now , which is fu ll or above to it being police patrolled.” says one capacity. prostitute, adding that "tw o good Ms. McCormack and Ms. Robert things would happen. The girls son say shelters and diversion pro wouldn’t have to worry about those grams are needed, especially for nuts and things and the guys teenage prostitutes, but they recount such as that o f Katherine W hite, a “ young modern w orking w om an” who holds a college degree and has One story recounted by M s. had experience in journalism . M s. McCormack concerns one prostitute W hite said, “ I d o n ’ t really under who repeatedly takes her “ Johns” stand why i t ’s illegal. I t ’s just like to the same street and quite often ’pot,’ people are going to do it any parks in front o f the same house. w ay." There, she engages in oral sex while Most o f the interviewees were also waving children away and, when the concerned about the health factor, pay-for-sex act has been committed, especially venereal diseases (V D ). she spits as they drive away. Jane Burg, director o f District I On the other hand, Ms. R obert with M ultnom ah C o u n ty ’s Health son recounts a self-experience situa Department, said, “ Our rate for both tion. While weeding her flower gar gonorrhea and syphilis are a little bit den, assisted by her teenage daughter, higher than the n atio n al ra n g e .“ a “ John” driving a car with Wash M u ltn o m a h ’s V D c lin ic ’s herpes ington license plates accosted her daughter. She said, “ the ’ Johns’ count from June o f ’81 to June o f ’82, stands at 326 reported cases. should be fined . . . starting w ith One other factor that seems to be fines o f anywhere from $1,000 and o f paramount concern, is the how’s above.” and why’s that people become pros Ms. Robertson claims that "every titutes. city deals where the money is.” She According to one prostitute. “ I t ’s makes reference to when prostitution easy and lucrative." The viewpoint was flo u rish ing during d aylig h t was shared by another who added hours in the downtown and South mystically, that, “ it’s a catch game Block area, “ When those business also.” people began to scream, the police A recount o f her story illuminates got busy and cleaned it o ut.” a p icture o f “ p im p s” spewing M s. M cC o rm ack contends that mumbo jumbo that in a sense “ spell they did not thin k the march and binds the girls,” thus setting up a way rally would stop p ro stitu tio n , but o f life. rather that it would increase aware As a whole, the prostitute’s cry is ness. The response, thus fa r, she “ Reaganom ics” and "eco no m ic says, “ has been g o o d .” She adds conditions.” They say, in rank, that that the pressure on prostitutes, as long as "M ister so and so” drives pimps and “ Johns” will continue. through with his wife and children Some community minded people, she on a Sunday morning while leaving continued, have been involved in church, then doubles back almost ridding the neighborhood o f prosti immediately as “ ’John’ so and so.” tutes for up to five years and a peti prostitution will continue. tion drive which has already been The continuation in neighborhoods started will gather signatures to be throughout the city is what not only presented to the C ity C ouncil, the Ms. McCormack and Ms. Robertson, County Commissioners, judges and but a growing number o f coalition the police department. groups and citizens, are concerned In a d d itio n , the tw o agencies, about. One N o rth P o rtla n d home N o rth P o rtla n d N eighborhoods owner wants "equal protection for Against C rim e and the Northeast equal tax dollars.” Neighborhood Office, are soliciting The gist o f that m atter can be other neighborhood agencies through summed up in what Michael Stoops out the city to join them in what they says: " I f the prostitutes were selling consider to be a “ city problem.” their bodies out in fro nt o f M ayor One such group, the Burnside Frank Ivancie’s and District Attorney Community Council, said Chairman M ich ael S h ru n k ’s homes, their Michael Stoops, “ is going to encour hands would be untied in a hurry.” age the o ffic ia ls not to evade the problem.” He added that the level pf discussion seems to be naive, and offers by way o f explanation that they are now talking about “ locking up pimps and ‘ Johns’ as well as prostitutes.” “ Legalizing prostitution might be one s o lu tio n ,” Stoops added, but “ let’s focus on the crimes related to prostitution: rapes, robberies and so And he said that “ prostitution is not harm ing people; i t ’ s the crimes associated with prostitution.” Num erous other people share similar viewpoints about prostitution — — M ■H a * -g_ri Civil Rights advisory committee favors police audit commission P O R T L A N D , O R — The Oregon •Th e Auditing Committee Ordin State A dvisory C om m ittee to the ance is a viable approach to provid U .S . Commission on C iv il Rights ing citizen input into the internal released a statement last Thursday complaint process. on the ordinance creating a Police •T h e O rdinance overcomes the Internal Investigations A u d itin g flaws o f citizen review boards cited Committee. The chair o f that com by the U .S . Commission on C iv il mittee, Thomas J. Sloan, urged that Rights. careful consideration be given to •T h e O rdinance includes all o f the Advisory Com m ittee’s analysis the minimum requirements that the o f the Ordinance, which will be de U .S . Commission on C iv il Rights cided by a citywide referendum believes should be present in any ci (Measure 51, on November 2, 1982. vilian review mechanism. Because o f the U.S. Commission on •The Ordinance is one o f the best C ivil Rights’ extensive research in civilian review structures designed the area o f police-community rela . to date and should be allowed a tions, the Advisory Committee be chance to work. lieves that the statement would ben The Advisory Committee further efit local o ffic ia ls, police and law believes that the police would bene enforcement personnel, residents of fit from the existence o f an Auditing the city, and other interested parties Committee becaue it would help re as they consider the proposal. store public confidence in the po The Advisory Committee believes lice, since the complaint process will that the Auditing Committee Ordin not be viewed as biased toward the ance coupled w ith the com plaint police; those Internal Investigations procedures o f the Police B ureau’s Division findings exonerating police Internal Investigations Division rep and affirm ed by the Auditing Com resent a positive step tow ard im mittee would be less likely seen as a proving police-community relations "w hitewash” ; and public meetings in Portland. Specifically, the A d vi o f the A u diting C om m ittee would sory Committee concludes that: result in removing the perceptions of the Police Bureau as a closed and secretive department. The Advisory C om m ittee recog nizes that the major factor contrib uting to the e ffo rt to establish the Auditing C om m ittee is the percep tion o f the citizenry that the police are not adequately policing them selves. The A dvisory C om m itter notes that regardless o f whether the ALL YOU NEED perception is based on fact, the per FOR MINOR ITCHES ception is very real and cannot be ig nored, since it can have significant AND RASHES. impact on the community. The Ad- y 6815 N.E. Union Av«. tales that are much more acute than some would suspect. visory Committee believes that the Auditing Committee Ordinance will only serve to improve police-com munity relations. Copies o f the statement are free and available to the public from : U .S . Commission on C iv il Rights, Northwestern Regional Office, 2854 Federal Building, 915 Second Aven ue, Seattle, W A 98174. The Oregon State Advisory Com mittee is one o f 51 such committees appointed by the U .S. Commission on Civil Rights to assist in determin ing the current status o f civil rights in the nation. The chair o f the Advi sory Committee is Thomas Sloan of P o rtlan d. V ice-C hairs are Jerry Haggin o f P o rtlan d and M ary W endy Roberts o f Salem. Other members o f the Advisory C om m it tee are: Ronald H alfm oon, Adams; M argie H endriksen, Eugene; Ann Lindh, Klam ath Falls, Lydia A ra gon; George Azumano; David Gon zales; H .J . Belton H am ilto n ; Gretchen Kafoury; Campbell Rich ardson; and Ethel S im o n -M c W il- liams, Portland; and Clair D . Silver, West Lin n . M em bers o f the advi sory committees to the Commission serve without compensation. The U .S . Com m ission on C ivil Rights is an independent, b ip a rti san, factfinding agency o f the feder al government concerned with the rights o f minorities and women, the handicapped and aged. Clarence M . Pendleton is C h airm an , M ary Louise Smith is vice-C hairm an. O ther Commissioners are M ary Frances Berry, M u rray Saltzm an. Jill S. Ruckelhaus, and Blandina C. Ramirez. John Hope, I I I is Acting Staff Director. Portland, Oregon 97211 2 » 1718 For All Your Insurance Nssds R ^ S E CITY APPLIANCE EXPERT SERVICE R O M CITY APPLIANCE Ci »07» f - I Gold* Diamonds* Silver Cash also paid for: Cameras • TVs • Stereos • • Firearms• Anything of value RED DOOR SOMS.E. 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