Prostitution

Tackling street vice in Mapperley ward and in Nottingham is a top priority.  Measures form part of the "Respect for Nottingham" campaign (started after the 2003 City Council elections and praised by Tony Blair). 

This page collates a series of reports on the progress made and the initiatives taken.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

An initiative to crackdown on prostitution and kerb crawling on the streets of Nottingham has resulted in the arrests of 238 kerb crawlers, and secured charges against 5 men working as pimps. The new figures, compiled over 2005, also reveal that 124 individual women working as prostitutes on the streets were arrested, with 7 being subject to Anti Social Behaviour Orders. Last year, 5 women were supported to successfully exit prostitution. The Kerb Crawling Task Force is a partnership between Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire Police and local agencies Prostitute Outreach Workers (POW) and the Jericho Road Project. The work it has undertaken is consistent with some of the measures outlined in the Government’s new Coordinated Prostitution Strategy.  Nottingham has already taken a ‘no tolerance’ stance against kerb crawlers, and has rejected plans to create a licensed red-light zone in the City.  The Task Force, established as part of the Respect for Nottingham initiative, has been tackling street prostitution through both preventative and enforcement measures for over 18 months. Over 214 letters were sent to the homes of cruisers caught trawling the city’s streets in 2005, and the Task Force has also put 138 men caught kerb crawling through its Change programme. The programme is offered to first time offenders, who are able to pay £200 to attend this course to change their behaviour instead of going to court. In addition, there are currently 31 men booked onto forthcoming courses. All the men caught kerb crawling have signed an Acceptable Behaviour Contract, which is held by the task force and to date none of these men have been caught again or are thought to have re-offended. Any profit made from Change Programme course fees is donated to projects in the local community. 59 individuals working as street prostitutes were engaged in a programme to support them to address their lifestyles in 2005, and 5 women have exited prostitution entirely, with the support of local agencies. The Task Force is working closely with the anti-vice team, to ensure that the measures taken to tackle prostitution do not push the trade into off-street sites. Sgt Neil Radford, of the Kerb Crawler Task Force at Nottinghamshire Police said: “We welcome the Government’s new strategy to crack down on kerb crawling and street prostitution. Nottingham has made significant progress in tackling this problem since the Task Force was formed, and we will continue to make it extremely difficult for both kerb crawlers and prostitutes to operate in our city.” Sue Gregory, Co-Chair of the Strategic Partnership for Prostitution at Nottingham City Council added: “A strong working relationship was established between the partners involved in the Kerb Crawling Task Force, when we received a Social Care Award in 2000 for Cross-Agency Working for our work around child exploitation. The Task Force has not only made great inroads in addressing the visible problems associated with street prostitution, but has also taken a multi-agency approach to support individuals to exit prostitution and engage in rehabilitation programmes that will help to prevent them from returning to the streets. By working together, we have been able to take a holistic approach to turning individual’s lives around.” Susan Johnson, Project Director at POW commented: “By working together, we can offer women the individual, tailored ongoing support they need to make positive changes to their lives and leave the prostitution lifestyle.” Lucy Fyleman, Project Manager at the Jericho Road Project said: The experience of those involved in working with street sex workers is that the vast majority want to exit prostitution. By working together with other agencies, we have been able to make it easier for people to make positive lifestyle changes.”

Tackling kerb-crawling and helping women to leave prostitution

Tuesday 17 January 2006

Labour's Home Office Minister Fiona MacTaggart today promised a zero tolerance response to the problem of prostitution across Britain. Announcing the government's strategy to tackle street prostitution, Fiona MacTaggart ruled out the idea of "managed zones" for prostitution but offered support for women who are trapped within the sex trade to help them off the streets. The Home Office's Prostitution Strategy, promises better enforcement of laws against kerb-crawling and those who exploit prostitutes, more opportunities for women to leave prostitution - including better links between police and projects which work with prostitutes - and an increased focus on preventing children, particularly vulnerable children, from being lured into prostitution. Fiona MacTaggart said: "Prostitution blights communities and the lives of those who participate.  While kerb-crawlers could choose not to pay for sex, women involved in prostitution often have very limited choices in life.  They come from difficult backgrounds, might have drug problems or nowhere safe to live.  I want them to have help and support to leave prostitution. "The communities who suffer the side-effects of prostitution end up with no choice over what happens on their streets – and they are the ones who see used condoms on the streets, who live in fear of innocent women being abused or attacked and who have the stigma of living in a red-light area. "We will not eradicate prostitution overnight, but we should not turn a blind eye to this exploitative industry.  I want to see a tough approach to kerb-crawling, combined with much better work to prevent children being drawn into prostitution and give those involved a route out." To reduce the demand for street prostitution and bring to justice those who exploit individuals through prostitution the Government and local authorities will encourage proactive policing of kerb-crawling by local police forces, and greater enforcement of penalties such as removal of driving licences from repeat offenders. The Strategy proposes creating a new penalty for the offence of loitering or soliciting for prostitution, so that courts can direct women into services to help deal with drug or alcohol dependency treatment.  To ensure fewer people enter prostitution, reduce the harm it causes and offer routes out, the Government and local authorities will also:

•  ensure that drug treatment programmes, other health services, and supported accommodation are available to women who want to get out of prostitution;

•  use the recently-published UK Action Plan on Trafficking to target traffickers;

•  expand the successful Ugly Mugs scheme, already running in various areas, which informs prostitutes about violent punters in order to protect them, and link this system with Crimestoppers information.

•  produce a guide to services available for women in prostitution who suffer violent or sexual crimes;

•  ensure that ASBOs, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Intervention Orders are used in conjunction with local support projects, and do not stop prostitutes from getting help;

•  change the definition of a brothel so that two prostitutes can work together.  Respondents said this was vital to increase the safety of women working in prostitution.

To prevent children entering prostitution, the Government will tighten up child protection guidance for social workers, focusing on those children who are most at risk of being lured into prostitution, such as those not in proper education and those leaving care.  It will also create a guide for schools to be aware of the risks and early signs of prostitution, and help devise training for police officers, teachers and nurses to spot the signs and risks of sexual exploitation. Other measures to tackle the demand for prostitution include naming and shaming those convicted of kerb-crawling.

February 2005 - Letter to -

The Letters Page Editor

Nottingham Evening Post

Castle Wharf House

Nottingham

NG1 7EU

Regarding the Chair of Nottinghamshire Police Authority, John Clarke’s comments on regulating prostitution.

We are puzzled that John seems unaware of the work being done currently in Nottingham to address the problem of street prostitution, kerb crawling and associated crime upon which we are making effective progress.

Any anti-social behaviour/crime problem needs a co-ordinated holistic approach, involving prevention, deterrence, enforcement and rehabilitation. Government funding for the new Prostitution Task Force has made this possible with Police Officers, Neighbourhood Wardens, Police Community Support Officers and Drug Rehabilitation Officers making up this new force.

99 kerb crawlers have been arrested already since the Task Force came into being last summer. 66 have been on the “change course” where a forensic psychologist and senior Police Officer explained to them in no uncertain terms the effects of their actions on themselves, their families, the community and the vulnerable women on the street. So far none have re-offended. 4 pimps have also been arrested. There have been numerous ASBOs against pimps and prostitutes.

Residents have acknowledged that the situation has improved enormously. However, this initiative is not just about enforcement – it is about looking at long term help for the vulnerable adults and children who generally, through abuse in their life, end up on the streets working as prostitutes. Social Services and Police in Nottingham have won national recognition for good practice, enabling children and young people to leave prostitution. Increased enforcement and increased availability of drug rehabilitation and other support to help build up these women’s lives and help them access safe housing, has meant that increasing numbers are wanting to exit from this lifestyle.

John Clarke’s call for a toleration zone, has already been investigated by our Police and Social Services in 1998. They found that the effect of a toleration zone was to lessen the child protection for vulnerable adults and young people. A toleration zone does not work either to reduce the presence of underage prostitutes, trafficked women, women who are working despite having HIV/Aids – these women are not allowed to work in a toleration zone, and are still to be found on the streets. Importantly, not just the City Council but POW (Prostitute Outreach Workers), the voluntary sector agency working with the women themselves, are not in favour of a toleration zone.

What actually works is to tackle the exploitation which is at the heart of it. I am proud to say that we are part of doing this.

We hope that John Clarke will now talk with the City’s Respect for Nottingham and Kerb Crawling Task Force teams before continuing his one-man exploration of the way forward.

Yours sincerely

Emma Dewinton

Michael Edwards

Mo Munir

City Councillors for Mapperley Ward

March 2004

Jon Collins, the Leader of Nottingham City Council, has written to Home Office Minister Caroline Flint about the work we are doing -

…It was good to meet you ... in Nottingham on 18 March and to have the opportunity to talk to you about our joint work with the Police under the Respect for Nottingham campaign.

As you know from the Nottingham conference we have set ourselves a number of challenging targets to reduce nuisance and anti-social behaviour and improve the cleanliness of the city between now and April 2005.

We want to tackle street prostitution as part of the Respect for Nottingham initiative. As in other cities, this problem causes both nuisance and distress to our residents. Our strategy to tackle street prostitution will place the kerb-crawler as the central focus, with increased surveillance and a policy of naming and shaming those convicted. The action plan sets out to create an obvious, visible reduction in Street prostitution, by December 2004. Planned action includes:

· Signs to be introduced in affected areas, highlighting the number of arrests of kerb crawlers during the previous month.

· A "Moving On" project has commenced with an aim of assisting women exiting prostitution. 3 sessions have taken place with 5 women attending.

· leaflets to be produced detailing the needle/syringe hotline with the aim of improving and making safer the environment.

· Press releases to the media publicising successful enforcement action and demonstrating the damaging effects of prostitution

· Posters displayed in pubs, bars, clubs, men’s toilets and bus shelters

· Community newsletters

· Leaflets for prostitutes advising of the increased enforcement action and support which is available to them

· Co-ordinated use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders

· Links into drugs service and treatment programmes

· Days of action to include visibility campaigns, targeting kerb crawlers and prostitutes, sending letters to suspected kerb crawlers based on vehicle registration numbers

BRIEFING

DECEMBER, 2002

ACTIONS BEING TAKEN TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF PROSTITUTION, KERB-CRAWLING AND PIMPING AFFECTING MAPPERLEY ROAD, FOREST ROAD AND WOODBOROUGH ROAD

q This is not a victimless crime – there is increasing evidence of children being forced into prostitution from an early age. The average age at which prostitutes first are paid for sex is 13. This means that there are not only children being brought into prostitution, but that adult women working in prostitution have generally suffered abuse from an early age. Also of course, residents in the area where kerb crawling and prostitution are happening, suffer harassment from both parties. The danger from kerb crawling is particularly worrying for children, young people and women.

q Kerb Crawling – the police, in combination to some extent with Council have been pursuing the usual prosecutions. However, they have been able to deal with more kerb-crawlers since the Government made kerb-crawling an arrestable offence earlier this year and since they started prosecuting kerb-crawlers for nuisance driving this summer. There have also been six “change courses”, where kerb-crawlers can choose to go on a course where they learn about the harmful effects of them using prostitutes in terms of their own family, and the children/young people/women concerned. These courses are self-financing. Men choose to pay to go on the course, rather than appear in court and pay a similar amount in a fine. The course is available to men without a criminal record in sexual or violent offences.

q Community – meeting on Mapperley Road and Woodborough Road have enabled police to liaise more closely with the community and make clear how information can be given to them. The number of the vice squad is 948 2999 ext 2195. Currently, (Nov 02) some of you may be aware that members of the vice squad have been seconded to deal with murder cases.

Police have said that they are keen to encourage people to join the Special Constables, and patrol their areas in that way if they so wish.

q Prostitutes – there continue to be prosecutions and anti social behaviour orders taken out against prostitutes. Unfortunately these often result in fines, which are paid by women going out on the streets again. The City Social Services is working closely with the police to ensure that any underage children or young people are not prosecuted, but are dealt with by Social Services to rehabilitate them and help them move awayfrom prostitution. This work has been nationally recognised as good practice, preventing child exploitation and identifying potential victims at any early age. Social Services and Police also work with the prostitute outreach workers (a voluntary group) to enable women to move on. Currently there is a group looking at using a Government grant to provide crisis accommodation for women working as prostitutes, who also have additional problems in drug addiction etc., and need secure refuge. There is obviously also a need to ensure that they have support to enable them to move on out of this lifestyle once they leave any refuge, and this is currently being addressed.

q Environment – the Police have put up warning signs on lampposts. Road closures have been discussed – and despite opposition last year, there are still people who would like us to look again at this option. Various problems with litter and lights are highlighted from time to time and dealt with.

q Neighbourhood Wardens – Six Neighbourhood Wardens have been secured for the City to work in St Anns, through a Government Grant. They will be pro-active in helping the police combat crime. I have talked with relevant officers and members to ensure that their beat includes the Woodborough Road end of St Anns going up towards Gedling. - (rather than stopping short at the old St Anns/Mapperley boundary at Alexandra Court).

q Toleration Zones – some people think that toleration zones, where prostitution and kerb crawling is allowed in a certain area, generally industrial, but not in residential areas – can be a solution. Unfortunately the effect of toleration zones appears to be two-fold: young people working as prostitutes, people with aids and immigrants without proper papers continue to work on the street as they would not be registered in a toleration zone. The women working in a toleration zone find themselves even more trapped into the life of prostitution. Therefore this is not a solution either for residents or for women. In addition such a zone sends out a message that the City is open for sexual prostitution and exploitation and encourages criminals dealing in guns and drugs to come to the City.

q Social Services and Police Visit to Amsterdam (report 4th November 98) This visit was to look at the results of the liberal policy to prostitution. They felt the child and adult protection issues were serious problems with this approach. There was little priority or co-ordination in dealing with protecting young people, who were much more likely to be working as prostitutes.

q Vice – the Vice Squad actually comprises six Officers; so do not be impatient if there is not someone sitting by the telephone all the time to talk to you. The Vice Squad not only deal with prostitution including child prostitution on the streets, but also off the streets i.e. brothels and saunas. They also police sex shops and agencies and a large part of their work now is concerned with Internet porn, which everyone is probably aware is a real threat, particularly to children.

q Licensing. Our Licensing Committee scrutinises applications for sex shops etc. Many prove unsuitable due to location, staffing, layout, health and safety etc. Police regard the spread of the sex industry as impacting negatively on sexual exploitation and crime problems.

q Research – currently I am part of a group looking at best practice and research in this area and any improvements that can be made will be!

q I have also written to John Heppell MP, asking him to make his voice felt in any debate around changes in the law on sexual offences in order to:

o Convey concern that sentencing currently does not give enough weight to offences around pimping.

o Equal concern about the difficulty of getting evidence against violent pimps – the problems in witness protection and the rules of evidence.

John Heppell replied, noting that the Government is carrying out a review of the law on prostitution and is using his funding several different models to deal with prostitution to find out about best practise. There has also been a review ‘Setting The Boundaries: Reforming The Law On Sexual Offences’ published in July 2000, which proposed heavy penalties for those who sexually exploit individuals for gain. The review included proposals to create new offences of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, recruiting an adult or child into commercial sexual exploitation and controlling the activities of prostitutes for money or reward. Some of these proposals have been put forward in the Queen’s Speech and I am looking forward to reading in detail what is to be brought forward this year.

Monday, 18 June 2001 Measures to tackle on-street prostitution I asked a question of the Chair of the Police Authority on the problem on on-street prostitution at Full Council on 18th June. ---- The Police have received £99,000 extra from the Home Office to use on a number of measures. The measures include - 24 operations against kerb-crawlers in the next 12 months; advertising campaigns; outreach work to move women off streets. The money may also pay for the closure of Lucknow Road, should a survey of residents find support for the idea. --- A fuller statement from my co-Councillor, Emma Dewinton, follows. --- Following the Mapperley Park Residents Association AGM tonight, I thought it might be helpful if I wrote to those people who had expressed concern at the problem of kerb-crawling and prostitution in the area of Mapperley Park, and summarised the points made during the discussion about future action. Inspector Ian Winton of the Anti-Vice Squad gave a presentation regarding the policing of the area and in particular of initiatives made possible by a recent bid for Government funding of £99,000, which has been successful. The funding will be spent during the forthcoming year on: 1 24 operations against kerb-crawlers (2 per month) - including 4 plain-clothes operations with covert cameras. Any resulting arrests will be publicised following court convictions, by the local Evening Post (“name and shame”). This sort of operation has been successful in the past and currently in other cities. It is hoped that the “name and shame” in particular will have a deterrent effect, particularly on kerb-crawlers who might come from outside the city. 2 There will be an advertising campaign also to deter kerb-crawlers, concentrating on the negative effects ie health, crime, family. 3 There will also be policing of prostitutes. 4 There will be outreach by the Voluntary Sector and Social Services to move women off the streets and encourage use of drug and other rehabilitation services. The question of litter was also raised during the meeting, and Inspector Winton made clear that extra inspections and cleansing could be carried out where necessary. Litter items can be reported to the Council's Customer Call Centre on 915 6666. Inspector Winton also gave out his own number for contact should residents want to inform him of any activity they considered criminal in the area: Central Police Station is on 9482 999, Inspector Winton's Extension is 2195. There was a question about the possibility of vigilante action against kerb-crawlers and prostitutes and the police were asked for their opinion. Inspector Alan Stuart from Arnold, urged people to talk with the police before taking any action, and stressed the need for clear guidelines on behaviour in order to avoid local residents getting on the wrong side of the law. Ian Winton also stressed the danger to resident's own safety of trying to be too pro-active - in the face of people who could be violent, and under the influence of drugs. Residents were encouraged to join the Special Police Constables, if they were enthusiastic about patrolling the neighbourhood. In the past, there have been patrols by Specials. The number of Specials has now fallen, and the police are keen to recruit more. There is no age limit. If sufficient Special Constables were recruited, who wanted to patrol the area, this could be arranged. In particular, the police stressed the need to share information regarding law breaking, whether to do with the activity of pimps, kerb-crawlers or drug dealers. The information may not enable the police to make an immediate arrest, but it will all be fed into their system of information and eventually aid detection and arrest. Questions were asked as to how the success of police operations would be judged. Ian Winton said that there would be several simple “performance indicators”: 1. A reduction in complaints - increase in arrests 2. Market Research on the effect of the advertising campaign 3. Canvassing through outreach workers at the effect on prostitutes Ian Chatfield from the City Council Highways Department was also present. He informed the meeting that there would be a consultation during the next two to three months, extensively in Mapperley park, regarding the possibility of a temporary closure of Lucknow Road, Vickers Road and Fowler Street in order to deter the kerb-crawlers “circuit”. The consultation would also explore any dangers of the possible transfer of the problem to other areas. The feeling at the meeting appeared to be mixed, with some opposing any closure on the grounds of possible accident or inconvenience - whilst others stressed the community safety need to deter kerb-crawlers. The consultation should make clear where the majority feeling lies. Sue Gregory from the City Council's Social Services (Child Protection) was also present at the meeting. Social Services is still working with the police and prostitute outreach workers to ensure that any children and young people working as prostitutes are contacted and encouraged to leave this work. To date the initiative has been successful, resulting in children and young people moving out of prostitution, and in convictions of sex offenders. I will continue to liaise with police and Social Services and Councillor Graham Chapman concerning the issues raised during the AGM. Councillor Edwards and myself are concerned to see that all the community safety aspects of this problem are addressed.

Considering Road Closures - as part of the measures for tackling on-street prostitution

One of the ideas considered in tackling on-street prostitution is that of road closures. 

In as much as road closures and changes to traffic flows have moved on-street prostitution activity in the past (e.g. when there were road works along Forest Road), it is an idea that should be considered as part of a total approach to tackling street vice. 

But there are snags.  It can actually be another burden to residents who have already suffered from on-street prostitution.  Alternative routes may be more hazardous.   And the views of the emergency services, particularly the Fire Brigade, have to be given consideration. 

New solutions, like temporary closures with specialised equipment, might offer a better solution. 

Labour Councillors' approach is to consult with residents who may be inconvenienced by the closure and to take their views very strongly into account.

This happened in 2001 when residents opposed plans to close Lucknow Road, which for anyone who lives on the Mapperley Park estate will know, is a key local route for local residents.

[Last updated 2005-02-24]

From November 2001 ...

Proposals aimed at curbing kerb crawlers in the Mapperley Park area have been shelved after residents voted against them. Nottingham City Council carried out a consultation exercise to gauge the views of local residents on plans to tackle the problem of prostitution and kerb crawling with a traffic management scheme. The idea was to set up experimental road closures in the Woodborough Road, Mapperley Road, Magdala Road and Lucknow Road area to see whether, by breaking up the circuit which makes it easy for kerb crawlers to enter and leave the area, their activity could be discouraged. Residents had already expressed concern over the proposals at the Mapperley Forum. The decision was announced at January's Mapperley Forum. Both the City Council's Traffic Management section and Nottingham Police's Vice Squad agreed that the scheme could not be justified in the face of local opposition. The City Council's Lead Member for Transportation and local ward member Councillor Michael Edwards said: "We felt that this scheme could have helped alleviate some of the problems residents suffer relating to prostitution.  However, we asked for their opinions, we have listened to what they have told us and we respect their decision." Still under consideration is the possibility of erecting signs warning of covert CCTV surveillance which is undertaken in the affected areas. Note, 70% of those surveyed were against; of those who lived on the roads directly affected, the view was 11-9 against. Further the Nottingham Evening Post was wrong to say “at a public meeting on Tuesday, 50 residents voted against the plans”; there was no such vote and the January 2001 Mapperley Forum meeting had not been convened to discuss the proposals.

 - - -

Friday, 9 November 2001 Letter to the NEP about Street Vice in Mapperley Park To the Editor Letters Page Nottingham Evening Post Castle Wharf House NG1 7EU Dear Sir, Last Tuesday, one of our regular Local Forums took place in Walter Halls School, Mapperley Ward, organised by our Area Co-ordinators. As usual, this was an opportunity to hear about local projects and developments, and take part in an open discussion, airing views. The focus this time was on policing and prevention of kerb-crawling and prostitution in St Anns and Mapperley Park. The City's Highways Department also used the meeting as part of a consultation process regarding the possibility of temporarily closing some roads in the area to deter a kerb-crawling circuit. The idea was raised earlier this year at a Mapperley Park Residents AGM. Feeling was mixed, but the Residents Association worked with us to distribute further consultation letters and to support the Area meeting as part of the consultation process. The meeting was part of a consultative process regarding the possible road closures and the straw poll taken at the meeting showed approximately 75 to 26 people against closures, which will be taken into account along with written views and views expressed to us as Councillors. To correct your articles of 19th October and 8th November, the road closure proposal is not a definite plan, but a consultative proposal - if the full consultation shows that residents prefer to prioritise issues that they see as affected by these road closures - such as road safety, convenience, traffic flow etc - above addressing the kerb-crawling circuit in this way, then we will continue to look at a broad spread of measures to combat kerb-crawling and prostitution, but will not include road closures. The Police in fact have used extra funding available for the year 2001/2 to initiate further measures against prostitution and kerb-crawling: An advertising campaign to deter kerb-crawlers on local radio, concentrating on the negative effect ie, health, crime, family. Operations against kerb-crawlers have increased including plain-clothes operations with covert cameras. Eight men were taken to Court (28th September) - And several voices were raised at the meeting on Tuesday urging that greater publicity be given to such Court appearances. I hope that the Evening Post is listening. Outreach by the Voluntary Sector and Social Services has also continued to encourage young people and children to exit from prostitution and use rehabilitation services. This has achieved a national recognition as one of the most effective ways of combating prostitution. Finally, I am sure you would agree that consultation was necessary on the Highways proposal, given the Residents Association's view after their AGM that “closures are considered to be a nuisance and an inconvenience, but are acceptable as an experiment to see if they are effective in reducing the prostitution and associated activities in that part of Mapperley Park” Yours sincerely, Councillors Emma Dewinton and Mike Edwards Labour Councillors for Mapperley Ward - - - -

[Last updated 2006-01-28]