[Starman]

This is something that has puzzled me for a long time.
Prostitutes are arrested in the streets of USA for soliciting while they do a brisk business right under the law's nose in those many so-called massage parlors and via so-called dating services. Why is it condemned on the one hand and winked at on the other? Taxes??

[CaptainForest]

Perhaps because it is easier and takes less time to arrest street prostitutes as opposed to those at massage parlors or escort agencies?

[jduke44]

You're probably right, Captain. I heard just recently in my town they busted one of those. Don't remember the details but it probably takes a lot for paper work a preparing to do this. A detective could have a hunch and the whole town know they do this but to actually have this place raided takes a lot more than seeing a prostitute on the street.

[phillysteakandcheese]

Street walkers are often the dirty and desperate prostitute, and are highly visible in the public eye. It's a priority for the city to try to curtail this activity in the interest of the general public, so police "crack down" from time to time.

By putting up a front of legitimacy, massage parlors and introduction services can hide the true nature of their business, keeping them out of the public eye (most of the time) and away from public pressure for the police to "do something" about it.

It's impossible to stop all forms of prostitution, so politicians and police forces do what they can, and then respond to public pressure when enforcement is demanded.

[wizzkid89]

Philly has a point, I think it's because they do offer a legitimate service at first, like massages and what not, and all that is legal, the prostitution is what's not talked about you know. It's the secret ingredient if you will, and I think that is why they are not cracked down because a face value it looks like a legitimate business venture, but underneth that's when things get dirty. :)

[ScottGem]

As Philly notes it's a quality of life issue. People don't want to be offended, accosted or annoyed by overt acts. Also police don't have the resources to investigate businesses that can only be suspected of breaking the law.

Frankly, I think Nevada has the right idea. Legalize it so it can be regulated and taxed.

[Krs]

I agree ScottGem, same as in Amsterdam!
Its clean and safe, regulated and taxed.
Save a few problems in the streets.

[Starman]

Philly has a point, I think it's because they do offer a legitimate service at first, like massages and what not, and all that is legal, the prostitution is what's not talked about you know. It's the secret ingredient if you will, and I think that is why they are not cracked down because a face value it looks like a legitimate business venture, but underneth that's when things get dirty. :)

Or it could be that the cops are on the take along with some other high officials who might be pocketting the protection money just as Al Capone did in Chicago during prohibition. In fact, he had officials on the take.

[Jay_Jay]

I agree ScottGem, same as in Amsterdam!
Its clean and safe, regulated and taxed.
Save a few problems in the streets.

And in Germany it is legal in some parts.

[wizzkid89]

I agree in one regard that it should be legalized, it has the potential to help the economy because they are being taxed and what not. However, it would really change the american psyche. For instance, most of the places now are out of sight out of mind, but god knows the minute they become legal they will start advertising. Now they will probably be discreet at first, but we all know over the years it will only multiply until it's on billboards, and that whole clean cut americana idea is now thrown out the window, and I fear a future of that in Back to the Future part 2. And if you remember correctly we already tried this back in 30's, where prostitutions was legalized and everything around it became slums. It really wasn't until the white slave traffic act of 1910 came about that their was laws on prostitution. Also note that not the entire state of Nevada agrees with prostition, it just so happens that the state says it o.k. but the county government gets to decided whether it is legal. Anyway, it really is a hard issue to debate, I think on one hand it would let police focus on more important issues, but I just see all these towns turning into Las Vegas. And if you haven't been there you won't understand. Porn magazines are sold on the streets like newspapers, and cards with a naked girls on them and a number on handed out every night by the thousands. They liter the streets every night. Every night. Every time I have been there which is like five times, it has always been like that. And it's hard to visualize like I said unless you been there, but porn just litters the entire strip, people stand on the sidewalk handing them out every night bagging it against their wrist to get your attention. I know I don't want that. I don't want to see that everyday. Fine it's out in the middle of the desert and it should be kept there. But not anywhere else. I want my family, especially when I have kids, I don't want them to be surrounded by that. Because sometimes ignorance is bliss.

[ScottGem]

I agree in one regard that it should be legalized, it has the potential to help the economy because they are being taxed and what not. However, it would really change the american psyche. For instance, most of the places now are out of sight out of mind, but god knows the minute they become legal they will start advertising. Now they will probably be discreet at first, but we all know over the years it will only multiply until it's on billboards, and that whole clean cut americana idea is now thrown out the window,

The advantages of legalization are in regulation. This allows it to be taxed, insures healthy partiticpants, and can restrict it. Such regulation would, no doubt, allow practitioners in only certain areas and revent overt advertising.

[phillysteakandcheese]

Or it could be that the cops are on the take along with some other high officials who might be pocketting the protection money...

We know there are dirty cops out there, and we know there's a certain amount of "looking the other way" by law enforcement on this (for various reasons - probably mostly political), but I think it's way off to suggest most cops working vice are corrupt and on the take.

It would be nice to have someone working in law enforcement give us a little insight into how city/state police prioritize these investigations.

Whether you agree it should or should not be legal - the police are there to enforce the laws the government puts in place, not judge your individual morality.

[talaniman]

It's the same as the war on drugs only the low-level people get any attention from the police while the high classed dealers and prostitutes or call girls ,whatever, do their business with impunity and a degree of respectibility.

[Starman]

Its the same as the war on drugs only the low-level people get any attention from the police while the high classed dealers and prostitutes or call girls ,whatever, do their business with impunity and a degree of respectibility.

Call me crazy if you want to but in my book that encourages the criminal activity they are supposed to discourage. There is a certain statue which represents justice and it holds a scale in each hand. It also has its eyes blindfolded, I always wondered why.
Now I know.

[talaniman]

Money talks and can buy a lot of blindfolds, money can also buy a townhouse or nice apartment and you don't have to walk the street, In America people with money don't go to jail or get hefty sentences, they can afford a good lawyer. Poor people go to jail and stay there.

[wizzkid89]

The advantages of legalization are in regulation. This allows it to be taxed, insures healthy partiticpants, and can restrict it. Such regulation would, no doubt, allow practioners in only certain areas and revent overt advertising.

You say that however, but I am pretty confident that like anything else in this world, it would spread. If we can't maintain prostitution as it is, how do you think that when it's legalized we would be able to quarantine it or contain when we can't do that right now?

[ScottGem]

You say that however, but I am pretty confident that like anything else in this world, it would spread. If we can't maintain prostitution as it is, how do you think that when it's legalized we would be able to quarantine it or contain when we can't do that right now?

Look at places where it has been legalized and you don't see what you are predicting will happen. Practitioners would know that abuse is likely to remove the legalization.

[wizzkid89]

I have seen where it is legalized and I did see what I was afraid, that was what one of my previous posts were talking about.

[talaniman]

I agree with legalizing prostitution and put it under the scrutiny of legislators to monitor regulate and tax! The biggest failure in America is trying to make rules to ban the behavior of the population. This has driven these activities into the hands of criminals and a lot of money poured down a big hole with no abatement of the activity. All efforts to stop these activities including drugs and gambling have not worked for thousands of years. It is time for a new approach!

[Starman]

I agree with legalizing prostitution and put it under the scrutiny of legislators to monitor regulate and tax! The biggest failure in America is trying to make rules to ban the behavior of the population. This has driven these activities into the hands of criminals and a lot of money poured down a big hole with no abatement of the activity. All efforts to stop these activities including drugs and gambling have not worked for thousands of years. It is time for a new approach!

Wouldn't it be a bit contradictory for a government that claims in God it trusts to legalize things that the God it claims it trusts condemns?