Towards More Holistic Enforcement of Sex Trade Laws...

I think the laws around the sex trade in Canada are confusing and unnecessarily victimize people. Every summer, as the streets come alive with many good things, not so good things also emerge. People see sex trade workers and drug dealers. They also see the homeless and addicted. I have long argued that the only way we are going to see a long term reduction in social ills and crime is to take a long term, holistic approach.  This applies very much in the case of the street sex trade, where the "criminal" is often one of the victims. Enforcement of sex trade laws also should be accompanied with meaningful assistance to those arrested so that they can live more healthy, happy lives.

That is why I was pleased to see the Kamloops RCMP, with their recent sex trade sting, build the operation so it encompassed an offer of help to the arrested workers. They had a bit of hiccup with the media, but all in all a very good job.

I wrote a letter to the Kamloops Daily News which talks a bit about the media "hiccup". Here it is:

I write today in response to both the RCMP's recent sex trade worker sting and Mel Rothenburger's subsequent  column "Prostitution Sting Raises Important Issues".

First, I want to congratulate the RCMP, the city's crime prevention officer Mark Huhn, crown counsel, social service providers, and anyone else who had something to do with the creation of the sex trade worker diversion program.

A hard job tackling parts of a complex issue and a job well done.

Many people spoke out against last year's sex trade worker stings because the it was felt RCMP did not take a holistic approach to the issue. This year, I feel, everybody potentially wins - businesses, neighborhoods and the sex trade workers themselves.  Now, many arrested sex trade workers will have a choice - take the offer of help or have the justice system and society use more of the "stick" approach.

So, again, kudos to the RCMP and to all involved.

Second, while Mel Rothenburger makes some very valid points about the public good being always served well by media independence, I am currently questioning how it really harmed the public good to delay by a day or two what the Kamloops Daily News was going to publish anyway. Maybe, I am missing something. I share Mel's scepticism on many sex trade exiting programs, but this new diversion program is a huge positive step for our community. It's about an ethic that no longer views everyone involved in the sex trade as a throw away person - an ethic that still very much responds to concerns of businesses and neighborhoods.

By the Daily News not agreeing when the RCMP requested a publication delay (not a ban) on the sting so that they could conduct operations for one more day, did we lose an opportunity to try to help more people?

That's more of a question than a statement. And, its a a question for the whole community to ponder, not just for members of city council or the editor of the Daily News. I would be interested in hearing your views.

Comments

[Allen Larson]

Re;Sex trade editorial. Generally I agree with your comments regarding the performance of the RCMP. I have only twoo comments
1. I can't believe anyone in any context could refer to the tasering of an eighty year old in the RIH as a "minor hiccup".
2. It is my view that what you hear and read in news media is no longer a credible and unbiased source of information but, like advertising, is selling the opinions of the authors about any given subject, like freedom of the press and the public's need to know etc. Those opinions often do not correspond with my opinions.