COPS TO HANDLE HOOKERS AS VICTIMS

Short of legalizing prostitution, this proposal seems worth a try.

CORPUS CHRISTI POLICE MULL PROGRAM TO TREAT SUSPECTED PROSTITUTES RATHER THAN JAIL THEM
Police are working to join forces with health department officials and judges to provide social services and health screens for those arrested on suspicion of prostitution

By Steven Alford

Corpus Christi Caller-Times
December 9, 2012

CORPUS CHRISTI — Police officers and health care providers soon will give prostitutes an option to get off the streets and find help.

Instead of jail time, law enforcement plan to work with county health care officials and judges to provide social services and health screens for people accused of prostitution.

Police Chief Floyd Simpson said the idea is modeled after a program he saw while working in Dallas, where police and medical staff set up mobile clinics in areas with the most prolific prostitution rates.

Known prostitutes were screened for diseases and offered options to find a legitimate job, go back to school, or receive mental health care instead of jail time.

"We're trying a different approach rather than just arresting them again and again," he said.

Often prostitutes are repeat offenders, going through a revolving door of arrest, incarceration, counseling and release, he added.

"We can't wait months for the system to kick in," Simpson said. "We have to try and help those who are trapped in this endless cycle."

A police captain went to Dallas to visit with officers and learn about the program and what can be used in Corpus Christi.

District Attorney Mark Skurka said he supports the diversion program.

Skurka envisions the initiative will be similar to the county's drug or DWI courts, where first-time offenders are offered deferred prosecution if they're willing to participate in counseling, community service or other terms set by the court.

"It's best to catch them early before it becomes a lifetime career," Skurka said.

Corpus Christi police often hold undercover operations known as "Jane" stings. Officers attempt to purchase the services of a suspected prostitute and arrest them when they agree to the terms.

The most recent sting was Oct. 17 on the city's Northside. In just three hours, undercover officers arrested eight women and a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of prostitution.

Skurka said when he was a young assistant district attorney, authorities identified the 10 most active prostitutes in Corpus Christi and procured year or longer jail sentences in an effort to keep them off the streets.

It worked, for a while.

But with prostitution, often those arrested are homeless, helpless or being victimized and have few other options, Skurka said, making it a multifaceted problem.

"There's got to be another way to approach the problem than just locking them up and throwing away the key," he added.