The Star Phoenix has an article on the increase of street prostitution in my neighborhood.
Ground zero for the sex-trade workers is hard to pinpoint, but the new stroll is anchored by 33rd Street West, stretching by some estimates to 38th Street, between Idylwyld Drive and Avenue G North.
"(It) turns into a different place after 10:30 at night," said Sharon Loeppky, who organizes a citizens’ patrol for the Hudson Bay Park/Mayfair community association.
"We’re not confrontational. We just walk. We try and make the johns uncomfortable. Those girls, I don’t believe they’ve chosen this life."
The migration of prostitutes from the 20th Street West area may have happened for a couple of reasons, said Hill, such as the closure of the notorious Barry Hotel and the prevalence of massage parlors in the 33rd Street West area.
I hold the city responsible for this as Mayfair is home to many of the city’s brothels massage parlors. While there is a difference in what happens behind closed doors and street prostitution, for those of us who live in close proximity to one brothels massage parlor (it’s half a block down the street), the high speed traffic out of there is incredible and someone is going to die there if something isn’t done. We live in a neighborhood where young kids run the streets 24/7 during the summer and weekends and now we have traffic approaching 100 km. zooming down Avenue D North.
It’s a blue collar working class neighborhood. It doesn’t deserve to be “ground zero” for prostitutes and brothels massage parlors. Wendy doesn’t need to be harassed coming home from work at Safeway by johns and neither does anyone else.
My other issue with this article was this statement by the Saskatoon Police Service.
Until the town hall meeting with 45 residents, police weren’t aware of the increased activity, said Engele.
I have e-mailed, talked to individual cops and called the police and invited them to park beside my house for a night to see what goes on a couple of blocks off 33rd street. Apparently they need more invites but what more do I have to do? It’s frustrating for everyone but with the other sex trade shops in our neighborhood and on my block, doesn’t that become an invitation for street prostitution and drugs?
