Northeast News
February 19, 2014

Dear Editor:

A few words on prostitution in our area.

First of all, this is not a so-called “victimless crime.” The victims are the sex workers themselves in many ways. How do we know they are not being forced into the sex trade? They may have been lured by some drug dealer, forcibly hooked on drugs and made to work the streets.

Prostitution brings other crime to our area such as drug dealers who are selling them crack or heroin, in some cases serial killers, other drug addicts and pimps looking to “recruit” more girls. And by recruit, I mean abduct, sell or kill. This is some serious stuff, people! These girls are just a symptom of a much bigger problem, much like a small cyst can be the first sign of terminal cancer.

Why do some folks think it’s okay, and that we should just ignore it because they are just trying to make some money? That is not even close to what’s really going on. Those girls do not get that money. That money goes to a pimp who uses it on himself or to buy drugs to keep the girls in a constant drugged state. How is this okay? Some of these girls have been murdered, one was only 15. What if that was your sister, cousin, daughter or friend? How is this okay?

I urge all of you, before you say “so,” or to “leave them alone,” to look at the big picture. The prostitutes draw other crimes and criminals to our area. Would you like another serial killer in the area to mistake you, your daughter, your sister, wife or mother for a prostitute and she ends up dead because people thought it was okay to just let them be? No. It is not okay. These girls are PEOPLE. They deserve a dignified existence just like you. Simply looking the other way and not calling the police is basically saying it’s okay for these women to be treated as less than human. It’s okay for a pimp to knock out a few teeth, it’s okay for a crack dealer to cruise my street, it’s okay for serial killers to scope my neighborhood looking for victims, it’s okay to invite other criminals in, but when crime happens, we complain.

Again, I URGE people to call in ALL prostitutes. You are not taking away their money, you are potentially saving a life!

-Jeana Poertner

Northeast resident