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Some activists are
responding angrily to an Ottawa police plan to send warning letters to the
homes of men observed seeking commercial sex. The letters will put women "at
greater danger by making them even more invisible within our community,"
said Michelle Ball, coordinator of education and health promotion with the
AIDS Committee of Ottawa. "Sending sex trade workers even further
underground creates systemic barriers in providing support to women working
in the trade, their children, access to health care and community social
services." Under
the plan approved Monday, men observed talking with prostitutes or cruising
in areas where prostitution is common would be sent "community safety"
letters. The letters warn of a "clear correlation" among prostitution, drug
use, and diseases like
HIV and
hepatitis.
The letter "is meant to educate the driver who is engaged or attempting to
engage in conversation with a sex trade worker," said the department's
Superintendent Larochelle.
But Ball said not all
sex workers are drug addicts, and "It's not being in the sex trade that puts
you at risk. It's how much information you have, how marginalized you are,
and what resources you have to protect yourself."
The letter
"marginalizes the fundamental issues surrounding the sex trade, including
homelessness, racism, violence and poverty," said Colleen Whiteduck of the
Elizabeth Fry Society, which advocates for women and girls in the justice
system.
The plan has drawn
praise, however, from some local people weary of finding condoms and drug
paraphernalia in their neighborhoods. All community feedback will be taken
into consideration when the program is evaluated at the conclusion of the
12-month trial period, Larochelle said.
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