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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