Police Law Allows Sex With Prostitutes!
March 26, 2014
Police officers in Honolulu have urged lawmakers to keep an exemption in state law that allows undercover officers to have sex with prostitutes during investigations. The call, unsurprisingly, has sparked a heated debate.
The authorities in Hawaii say they need the laws to catch prostitutes and pimps in the act. Critics, including human trafficking experts and other police forces, say it’s a waste of time, and can further victimise sex workers.
A Hawaii bill cracking down on prostitution was originally written to get rid of the sex exemption for officers on duty, but it was amended to restore that protection after police testimony. The revised proposal has passed the state House and will go before the Senate shortly.
A Green Light To Misconduct
Still, unsurprisingly, this is seen by many as giving a green light to police misconduct. There are stories of police offers wanting ‘freebies’ so they won’t arrest or harass prostitutes.
Expert Derek Marsh, who trains California police on how to deal with prostitutes effectively, says the exemption is “antiquated at best” stating that police don’t need it to do their jobs effectively.
“It doesn’t help your case, and at worst you further traumatize someone. And do you think he or she is going to trust a cop again?”
The argument for allowing this exemption is that the police can work out how far the pimps and prostitutes are willing to go. Though this argument is disputed.
Lauren Hersh who runs ‘Equality Now, a women’s advocacy group, thinks you could be re-victimizing people who have been guilty of abuse.
“I can understand you’re in a drug den, and you have a gun to your head and someone says ‘snort this’. But the sex exemption in Hawaii is so dissimilar from that circumstance on so many levels.”
A Better Way
This seems like a total mess, and for me, just goes to show that instead of working against the sex industry, the police and lawmakers should be working with it.
No-one wants to see trafficking and people working against their will. These are the things the authorities should be working against, instead of working out if the girl is a prostitute by having sex with her.
Something, somewhere is going very, very wrong.
Since then, he has specialised in articles on the battle for equal rights for sex workers, sexual health, as well as bringing the readers fun news from around the world. He also has a major interest in LGBT rights, and is an active campaigner in this field.
When he isn't fighting the good fight, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, and young daughter. He also enjoys reading and taking long walks.
- Trailblazers: Celebrating Female Empowerment in Adult Work - March 8, 2024
- Advocacy and Activism: Making a Difference in the Adult Industry - March 3, 2024
- The Lover’s Guide: Unique Valentine’s Day Ideas with Escorts - February 14, 2024
