In August, the City Council passed three ordinances to address street level prostitution in our community. An amendment to our existing cruising ordinance which prohibits driving around the block in the designated area more than three times in one hour. It appears clear that it is the women who bear the brunt of our new city strategies, just as it is they who suffer the trauma of surviving this brutal lifestyle on a daily basis. Of these three, only the cruising ordinance is specifically targeted for the johns and that, as well as the increased penalty, can be seen as merely an irritant as they will not significantly alter their quality of life. The prostitution free zone has several ramifications for the women I work with.
Sponsors is located within the exclusion zone.
As such, an excluded woman will have to request a variance from a municipal court Judge if she chooses to participate in our services. If the exclusion is granted, she will have to designate her route in and out of the zone and carry the variance on her person at all times or be subject to a criminal trespassing charge. Luckily, the Hope Street Project is located outside of the zone, however, our clothing room is located at Sponsors. Again an excluded woman must have the foresight to request a variance from the court before being able to access this basic necessity. This ordinance will have little effect on the daily lives of the johns.