Jones is correct that the profession needs to be destigmatized. Those who have been coerced into the trade are, themselves, victims. Those who are feeding a drug addiction need encouragement to get treatment. Decriminalization, however, would work to the advantage of sex traffickers and their customers, especially when underage victims are involved.
Prostitution is legal in 10 Nevada counties, but authorities have instituted rigorous controls to license brothels, collect fees, regulate prices, test prostitutes regularly for sexually transmitted diseases, and to ensure that they are performing such work voluntarily. St. Louis has no such controls, and it consistently ranks among the highest in the nation for per-capita sexually transmitted diseases.
Besides, state law mandates prosecution of prostitution as a class B misdemeanor. A move by Jones, currently the St. Louis treasurer, to circumvent state law seems destined to invite even more legislative interference in local affairs.
No one should want to see people already in the depths of desperation, perhaps suffering from abuse or addiction, to be further victimized with arrests and fines. If anything, a much heavier law enforcement emphasis should be placed on the people victimizing the vulnerable. Jones and Spencer sound as if they’re competing to win over a progressive audience with half-baked ideas instead of seriously discussing the city’s most pressing problems.
