People arrested in Santa Ana on suspicion of prostitution-related crimes will soon get some unwanted publicity, as police prepare to unveil a website naming and shaming those believed to be involved in the sex trade. The individual postings will stay online for 15 days before being removed, according to the department. But the new, police-run Santa Ana website will apparently go further by identifying people arrested prior to a conviction, and by also including suspected pimps and prostitutes.
Santa Ana has long been a hub for prostitution-related activity, particularly along the busy Harbor Boulevard corridor. Police say that over the past year they made more than arrests for prostitution-related crimes. Over the past decade, local law enforcement has undergone a philosophical sea-change , largely viewing those picked up for taking part in prostitution as victims forced into a risky lifestyle by difficult circumstances and manipulation rather than criminals.
At the same time, police and prosecutors have stepped up efforts to target pimps β often describing them as human traffickers and modern-day slave owners β and have shone a public spotlight on sex purchasers in order to dry up the demand that drives prostitution ecosystem. In posting pictures of sex purchasers β either suspected or convicted β law enforcement agencies have often pointed to the prospect of public embarrassment as a tool in dissuading those who would seek out prostitutes.
A year after the DA began listing them, the city of Anaheim β the only city in the county to prosecute its own misdemeanors β also considered posting the names of anyone convicted of soliciting a prostituted , but such a list is not currently available on the city website. By Sean Emery semery scng. Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
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