Condemnation grows as sex workers’ groups speak out against police harassment

Maggies said:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Condemnation grows as more sex workers’ groups speak out against police harassment, urge Parliament to go a different route

January 29, 2014. Toronto-- Big Susie’s, Sex Professionals of Canada, Sex Workers Action Group Kingston, Stepping Stone, Maggie’s: The Toronto Sex Workers Action Group and Stella join fellow sex workers’ organizations in condemning recent police activities that use deception and intimidation to investigate trafficking and exploitation, driving the sex trade further underground and away from safety. 330 sex workers across the country were targeted.
In cities across Canada, male officers are posing as clients to book appointments with indoor sex workers. Several officers then show up at the worker's door, demanding entry in order to check for signs of trafficking or coercion. Once inside, officers bombard the worker (usually a woman) with personal questions, demand to see ID and search the worker’s premises and possessions.

Tragically, such duplicitous and intimidating policing tactics hinder the important goal of surfacing actual cases of exploitation and coercion. "Part of our work as a sex workers' rights and advocacy organization is to support anybody who might find themselves in a coercive situation,” shares Phoenix from Maggie’s. “I can tell you that these sorts of deceitful and menacing approaches further degrade trust between sex workers and the police, and stop people in exploitative situations from seeking and accepting police assistance.“

This policing strategy seems to contradict the recent Supreme Court decision that insisted that the law cannot be used to further endanger the security and safety of sex workers. As Valerie Scott from Sex Professionals of Canada points out, “Police intimidation pushes us further into the shadows, and sets up the same kind of circumstances that the Supreme Court just ruled are unacceptable.” Sex workers express feeling intimidated by the current police tactic and coerced into allowing police into their homes and worksites. Privacy and dignity are compromised. “I understand the importance of identifying and stopping abuse,” says Emma, a sex worker in the GTA. “But scaring and intimidating women isn’t the way to do it. I mean, several
uniformed cops at my door asking to be let in? While I'm standing there in my lingerie and heels? I would likely let them in just so my neighbours and landlord won't know what's going on. The last thing I need is to lose my home. Not to mention it scaring off clients and me losing money. It’s not like this is some minor inconvenience."

We urge politicians and law enforcement to recognize the unintended yet serious harm caused by poorly designed laws and tactics intended to fight exploitation. "As Parliament tackles prostitution law reform over the next few months, they should be cautious not to develop laws that, in the name of helping women, actually compromise their safety and well-being," comments Amy Lebovitch, a sex worker and activist with Sex Professionals of Canada. “Otherwise, we will have more of the sort of deception and intimidation we are seeing with this recent policing tactic – and worse.“

Laws that could cause such damage include those that do not criminalize sex workers directly but aggressively target their managers and clients. As Kara Gillies, a sex worker and advocate, says, “The problem is that there is no way to go after our clients and managers without hurting our income and security. And those approaches harm not only us but also the majority of clients and managers who are benevolent, not exploitative.”

Sex workers would like to have other strategies developed to decrease exploitation and increase safety. Mz. Scream from Big Susie’s explains: “In fact, sex workers are well equipped to work together with business owners to build a better business practices model including a minimum set of health and safety labour standards, and an official complaints process so that we can weed out the bad clients and managers under our own governance.”
Collectively we are calling on local and national police forces to stop using deceptive and intimidating tactics against sex workers. As Chanelle Gallant, Spokesperson for Maggie’s states, “Harassing over 300 sex workers in this manner is a misuse of police resources, oversteps acceptable police conduct and undermines everyone’s right to fair application of the law.”



CONTACTS:
Big Susie’s: Big Susie's is a working group by and for sex workers in Hamilton and the surrounding areas. Our purpose is to fight back against the stigma and silence that degrades, devalues and dehumanizes sex workers and their work. Big Susie's is a sex-positive and sex worker-positive organization that advocates for the total decriminalization of sex work to allow sex workers self-determination of their own bodies. www.bigsusies.com bigsusies@live.ca
Maggie's: The Toronto Sex Workers Action Project is an organization run for and by local sex workers. Our mission is to assist sex workers in our efforts to live and work with safety and dignity. We are founded on the belief that in order to improve our circumstances, sex workers must control our own lives and destinies.
Contact: Chanelle Gallant communications@maggiestoronto.ca, 416 964-0150
Sex Professionals of Canada (SPOC) is a sex worker activist group whose main objective is to work toward the decriminalization of sex work through political activism and public awareness. Contact: Amy Lebovitch amy@spoc.ca - 416.880.6034 - www.spoc.ca
Sex Workers Action Group Kingston (SWAG) is a sex positive group run by sex workers, people with lived experience, allies, and agency members who strive to improve the lives of sex workers in Kingston and surrounding area. www.swagkingston.com swagkingston@gmail.com
Stella, l’amie de Maimie (Montréal, Quebec). Stella is Montréal’s organization run by and for sex workers. Since 1995, Stella has fought for better working conditions for sex workers working in all sectors of the industry, promoting health and human rights
Stepping Stone is a charitable not for profit organization that offers supportive programs and outreach to women, men and transgender sex workers and former sex workers in Halifax, NS. (902) 420-0103info@stepping-stone.org

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No matter what you say, and how you are trying to protect workers and the "rights of women"; there are still little and bigger girls and boys who are being exploited, abused and coerced by predatory animals(both male and female). Anyone who remembers the tragedy of Emmanuel the Shoe Shine Boy will know what I mean.

I really don't want to go head to head with "advocacy" as I believe whole heartedly in supporting "causes" and being the "voice" but you also need to maintain an objective standpoint.

The natural assumption is this is a "new" strategy- which is an ill informed notion and in reality has been done for YEARS and long before the Supreme Court decision, which to be frank, is not in effect and the police have been attempting to use a "community policing" approach as outreach, while protecting and possibly uncovering exploitation etc.

Which to a great degree, I can understand and also see how this could be seen as an ineffective tactic in building and establishing a rapport with sex workers- however for every 330 reports of this "tactic", if even one child was saved from exploitation... would you then think the same?

What if the exploited was you, or your daughter?

You failed to mention the police aren't actively laying common bawdy house charges for every report you mentioned, which should say something... no? They certainly are well within the compounds of the law to actively do so. And they aren't are they? I'd be willing to bet, very few if any.

So wheres the happy medium?

Offering in call is against the law, is it not? Or should I rephrase and state although this has been challenged, the laws as they always have been- are still in effect.

This would be a very different "announcement" if they were nice enough to knock on the door while attempting to investigate for the purpose of laying charges. I don't even think any sex worker would be extended that courtesy, other than to arrest. Which ironically, if they were doing that, the parallels in your "new release" would also be uniquely the same.

So, as an advocate of "us" what do you suggest they do?

Really kind of stuck one way or another, when we really think about it... don't you think?


On a side note, perhaps your perspective on the wild extremes of the spectrum in the industry, what challenges the police do face and knowledge of exactly what does occur, is even an unknown to those IN the adult industry including those who are also advocates.

I might then challenge your assumptions and gravitating towards a preconceived notion their "intent" which could possibly be something beyond the scope of "child exploitation" or "harassment" as you state.

I certainly have personal experience that would lead me to believe perhaps you and others may be prematurely coming to conclusions or jumping the "decision" bandwagon squawking because you can, without an idea of the "full picture".

So although I see many sides, also being the sex worker who has experienced this in a very different degree... I understand your points and appreciate your standpoint. I do. I get it.

I can however see a great variation in possibilities you probably haven't even considered.

Perhaps rather than going on a awareness, smudge campaign, possibly going against those who ARE trying to help, assuming you know everything, possibly coming up with ideas to better help and assist will prove to be more valuable. I, like many, having been doing this for years without the "weight" you and others have, proactively trying to make a difference rather than grasping onto "old" news, adding a spin and making it "new" news- using "the decision" as a platform.

If as an advocate this is the first you've spoken out about this, or became aware of "this" then I'd be inclined to wonder if you're a bit behind in the times, or what purpose this serves? To me, your release creates an overall higher level of fear than the actions of the police. Not to mention spreading this "anti" police stance that underlines your memos in tone, isn't effectively helping and does not identify the great many you are "advocating" for.

If anything, this has been common knowledge for years and has been reported on the boards etc for just as long. With that said, perhaps the focus should be informing the women of their rights, without the fear mongering and turning this into a constructive conversation on ways to effectively identify ways of being able to help them "help" us.


A colleague of mine used the phrase "Breaking Barriers"

Perhaps "we" as advocates should be trying to pair our understanding and unique needs and address these issues in a way that allows for effective change while also trying to address the challenges the police are faced with, or anyone attempting to actually do just that- politicians, the justice minister, other advocacies etc

If we worked together, rather than serving our own agendas, maybe we might get somewhere?

I'd be more worried about where that info is being logged, what purpose it serves and asking the good ol' question of WHY...

pocahottie said:

I really don't want to go head to head with "advocacy" as I believe whole heartedly in supporting "causes" and being the "voice" but you also need to maintain an objective standpoint.

The natural assumption is this is a "new" strategy- which is an ill informed notion and in reality has been done for YEARS and long before the Supreme Court decision, which to be frank, is not in effect and the police have been attempting to use a "community policing" approach as outreach, while protecting and possibly uncovering exploitation etc.

Which to a great degree, I can understand and also see how this could be seen as an ineffective tactic in building and establishing a rapport with sex workers- however for every 330 reports of this "tactic", if even one child was saved from exploitation... would you then think the same?

What if the exploited was you, or your daughter?

You failed to mention the police aren't actively laying common bawdy house charges for every report you mentioned, which should say something... no? They certainly are well within the compounds of the law to actively do so. And they aren't are they? I'd be willing to bet, very few if any.

So wheres the happy medium?

Offering in call is against the law, is it not? Or should I rephrase and state although this has been challenged, the laws as they always have been- are still in effect.

This would be a very different "announcement" if they were nice enough to knock on the door while attempting to investigate for the purpose of laying charges. I don't even think any sex worker would be extended that courtesy, other than to arrest. Which ironically, if they were doing that, the parallels in your "new release" would also be uniquely the same.

So, as an advocate of "us" what do you suggest they do?

Really kind of stuck one way or another, when we really think about it... don't you think?


On a side note, perhaps your perspective on the wild extremes of the spectrum in the industry, what challenges the police do face and knowledge of exactly what does occur, is even an unknown to those IN the adult industry including those who are also advocates.

I might then challenge your assumptions and gravitating towards a preconceived notion their "intent" which could possibly be something beyond the scope of "child exploitation" or "harassment" as you state.

I certainly have personal experience that would lead me to believe perhaps you and others may be prematurely coming to conclusions or jumping the "decision" bandwagon squawking because you can, without an idea of the "full picture".

So although I see many sides, also being the sex worker who has experienced this in a very different degree... I understand your points and appreciate your standpoint. I do. I get it.

I can however see a great variation in possibilities you probably haven't even considered.

Perhaps rather than going on a awareness, smudge campaign, possibly going against those who ARE trying to help, assuming you know everything, possibly coming up with ideas to better help and assist will prove to be more valuable. I, like many, having been doing this for years without the "weight" you and others have, proactively trying to make a difference rather than grasping onto "old" news, adding a spin and making it "new" news- using "the decision" as a platform.

If as an advocate this is the first you've spoken out about this, or became aware of "this" then I'd be inclined to wonder if you're a bit behind in the times, or what purpose this serves? To me, your release creates an overall higher level of fear than the actions of the police. Not to mention spreading this "anti" police stance that underlines your memos in tone, isn't effectively helping and does not identify the great many you are "advocating" for.

If anything, this has been common knowledge for years and has been reported on the boards etc for just as long. With that said, perhaps the focus should be informing the women of their rights, without the fear mongering and turning this into a constructive conversation on ways to effectively identify ways of being able to help them "help" us.


A colleague of mine used the phrase "Breaking Barriers"

Perhaps "we" as advocates should be trying to pair our understanding and unique needs and address these issues in a way that allows for effective change while also trying to address the challenges the police are faced with, or anyone attempting to actually do just that- politicians, the justice minister, other advocacies etc

If we worked together, rather than serving our own agendas, maybe we might get somewhere?

I'd be more worried about where that info is being logged, what purpose it serves and asking the good ol' question of WHY...

Click to expand...

Excellent post.