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
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