Tackling prostitution in Swindon (From Swindon Advertiser)

Tackling prostitution in Swindon

9:19pm Sunday 4th May 2008 in

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ONE of the biggest problems facing Swindon police is prostitution. Women are selling themselves across town, both working as street prostitutes and out of brothels, massage parlours and as call girls.

It is a crime both to sell sex or to pay for it. It is also illegal to run a brothel or profit from another person selling their body.

As well as the main offences linked to prostitution, the town's police are also concerned about other crimes linked to the sex trade, such as drug taking.

Insp Carly Nesbitt, in charge of the central sector neighbourhood policing teams, said: "We can arrest girls for soliciting and we can also get men who pick women up.

"We can compile information to decide whether they are offending by observing them, and if we see them getting into vehicles it helps build a case.

"By speaking to both parties we can then put more of a case together.

"On some occasions people suspected of soliciting can be told to leave a certain area. If they return to that area and don't have a legitimate reason to be there then we can arrest them.

"It all depends on the circumstances and there have been some cases where officers have caught them in the act with a client."

Insp Nesbitt explained that after arrests had been made there were a number of ways suspects could be dealt with.

"Depending on how many times they have been cautioned before we will decide whether to caution or charge them. Whatever happens they would still be arrested and taken to the police station and details taken. Normally after two cautions they would get the status of common prostitute.

"Depending on the age of the girl sometimes there would be more of a threat and they would be put under a police protection order.

"When it comes to kerb crawlers they can be cautioned or charged.

"We are also thinking of introducing, with the Crown Prosecution Service, a system of conditional cautioning."

Call to legalise brothels

A MAN who was accused of running a brothel has called for them to be legalised.

The man was charged with running a brothel but, speaking to the Adver, he said he just wanted to provide a safe place for prostitutes to work.

The man said he allowed his home to be used for his mother and a friend to sell sex as a safer alternative to walking the streets.

"We want nothing. I'm not making any money out of this. Anyone who comes here can see that we are not some big organisation making money," he said.

"These girls are just trying to work in a safe environment.

"This is my mother. Obviously I'm not totally happy about what she does. But if she is going to I would rather she was working under my roof.

"I'm just keeping her safe so she is not working on the streets.

"The police's attitude seemed to be that the girls on the streets were high on drugs so their lives were worthless.

"We know my mother has never touched drugs. It doesn't always revolve around drugs.

"The other woman has kids. That's how she provides for them. She has three little boys and she does what she has to do to get by. This was more an act of desperation on my part. I don't exactly enjoy what my mother is doing. But I can't stop her.

"It is so much better for them to work here where it is safe.

"We have got CCTV so we know who is coming in and who's going out. If anything did go wrong we have got security cameras and I'm here.

"The biggest thing I can't understand is how or why they haven't legalised it.

"What is the difference between porn films and a person paying for sex?

"Why is it that different when it is just not being filmed?"