Officials seek ways to curb prostitution

WORCESTER Since 2007, police have made nearly 1,000 arrests for prostitution-related offenses, but that alone has not been enough to eradicate the problem, especially in the citys Main South area.

In fact, things have reached the point in which the City Council recently gave City Manager Michael V. OBrien the go-ahead to file special legislation that would authorize the forfeiture of motor vehicles used in connection with prostitution in the city.

Meanwhile, District 4 Councilor Sarai Rivera wants the city to tackle prostitution with the same kind of fervor it has with panhandling. She said the city needs to look at prostitution as more than just a public safety issue; she contends it is very much a public health issue as well.

Ms. Rivera said the large number of people continuing to get caught through police stings shows prostitution is still a big problem in Worcester.

In response to the councils desire to see more done about chronic prostitution, Mr. OBrien said the citys Division of Public Health will soon begin researching possible long-term solutions to the health consequences of prostitution drug dependency and abuse, violence and sexually transmitted diseases.

He said those policy recommendations and strategies will be coordinated with current law enforcement interventions. He credited the Police Department for being very active and vigilant about prostitution from a law enforcement perspective.

There are no easy solutions to eradicating the problem of prostitution, especially where drug dependency is the norm among women engaged in sex for a fee, and the cost of narcotics and maintaining that dependency contributes to a high recidivism rate, Mr. OBrien said.

Effective strategies require community partners and collaboration by the entire criminal justice system and long-term solutions must focus on addressing drug dependency and changing behavior.

In a report to the council, Mr. OBrien said the first step in the citys effort will include an assessment of the current environment of local prostitution.

He said the Division of Public Health will use the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Strategic Prevention Framework of Assessment five-step process assessment, capacity building, planning, implementation and evaluation to organize the citys approach.

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Officials seek ways to curb prostitution