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Prostitution Task Force
"The problem is not in finding solutions to deal with prostitution but finding the political will."
The Hillsborough County Prostitution Task Force is a grassroots community/government and multi-agency collaborative effort to address the problems of street-level prostitution and prostitution related activity, in-depth on a systems wide basis. The Task Force was founded in July 2001. Members of the task force have included the Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the State Attorney; the Public Defender; Tampa City Council members; Hillsborough County Commissioners; the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court Administrator’s Office; the Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Office; Salvation Army Probation Program; Department of Juvenile Justice; Hillsborough County Health Department; various City of Tampa agencies including the Code Enforcement Office and Neighborhood Liaison’s Office; community not-for-profit agencies such as Tampa Crossroads; neighborhood and civic organizations such as Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association, Old Seminole Heights Civic Association, Drew Park Civic Association, North Tampa Crime Watch and Civic Association, Tampa Neighborhood Watch Association; State Legislators; and others.
Prostitution is a significant problem in Hillsborough County, especially for the neighborhoods along Nebraska avenue in Tampa. In the past typical solutions for dealing with prostititution have just been increased enforcement. However this only works during the time of increased enforement and often has the effect of just pushing the problem to other areas. The Task Force was created by neighborhood residents to seek a variety of creative short and long term solutions to the problem and to help the political leaders to find the will to deal with the issue.
Accomplishments of the Task Force
* Demonstrated, through research and anecdotal evidence, to various City and County elected and appointed officials, how prostitution was a problem.
* Encouraged the various participants and their agencies to reevaluate their current policies and practices in dealing with prostitution and to be creative in prostitution problem solving.
* Facilitated the resolution of system issues and glitches.
* Asked Tampa Crossroads to create Prostitutes and Johns Treatment Programs prior to them obtaining any outside funding sources. All funding for the program was from fees paid by the clients. This program began in October 2001.
* In February 2002 the Task Force asked Tampa Police Department to seek participation in the Trespass Warning Program from all businesses, residences and properties along Nebraska Avenue from Downtown to City Limits. This allows TPD to act as agents for those owners and ask any trespassers to leave the property or face arrest. This would make it harder for the prostitutes to find places to wait for Johns. The Task Force facilitated having TPD and City of Tampa Neighborhood Relations Office to create a brochure describing the program that could be passed out to interested businesses, residences and properties owners. This brochure is now available on the TPD website. So far TPD has been successful in enrolling 240+ businesses, residences and properties owners in the program and made multiple arrests.
* Supported a Tampa Police Department / TECO Lighting Improvement initiative to increase the street lighting wattage and the number of street light poles in city neighborhoods.
* Helped get Senate Bill 570 and House Bill 415 passed in March 2002. Our State Attorney was one only two who supported the bill. These bills made a 3rd conviction of prostitution or prostitution related activities a felony. It created a 2 year pilot program in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties to provide for the treatment for those convicted prostitution activity This pilot program would provide services including intake and screening, initial drug screening and urinalysis tests, psychosocial assessments, case management, short-term supportive counseling, community referrals, and referrals to residential and nonresidential drug treatment. Tampa Crossroads was selected to run this program in Hillsborough County. This bill also provided that a person convicted for a first or second time for soliciting for prostitution services, will be given the option to attend a rehabilitative educational program recommended by the court for solicitors or buyers of prostitution services. If the person convicted chooses this option, adjudication shall be withheld pending the completion of the requirements of such program. The person is required to attend six classes within 6 months and pay $350 in fees. A person who solicits for prostitution services will be assessed a civil penalty of $500 if the violation results in any judicial disposition other than acquittal or dismissal. Following a second or subsequent violation which involves a motor vehicle and which results in any judicial disposition other than acquittal or dismissal, in addition to any other sentence imposed, the court shall revoke the person's driver's license or driving privilege, effective upon the date of the disposition, for a period of not less than 1 year.
* Asked State Representative Bob Henriquez to study the creation of legislation that would allow local governments to ban hourly rental of motel rooms in high crime areas.
* Created an atmosphere that encouraged the development of the programs like the Prostitution Enforcement Maintenance Program (PEMP). This program was created by two TPD Officers under the direction of TPD District 2 Major Jane Castor from ideas that came out of a TPD District 2 brain storming session that includes members of Southeast and Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Watch Vehicle Patrols. PEMP seeks to disrupt the prostitutes business by shadowing them whenever they try to engage in prostitution, thereby preventing the John's from picking them up.
The Hillsborough County Prostitution Task Force is a grassroots community/government and multi-agency collaborative effort to address the problems of street-level prostitution and prostitution related activity, in-depth on a systems wide basis. The Task Force was founded in July 2001. Members of the task force have included the Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the State Attorney; the Public Defender; Tampa City Council members; Hillsborough County Commissioners; the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court Administrator’s Office; the Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Office; Salvation Army Probation Program; Department of Juvenile Justice; Hillsborough County Health Department; various City of Tampa agencies including the Code Enforcement Office and Neighborhood Liaison’s Office; community not-for-profit agencies such as Tampa Crossroads; neighborhood and civic organizations such as Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association, Old Seminole Heights Civic Association, Drew Park Civic Association, North Tampa Crime Watch and Civic Association, Tampa Neighborhood Watch Association; State Legislators; and others.
Prostitution is a significant problem in Hillsborough County, especially for the neighborhoods along Nebraska avenue in Tampa. In the past typical solutions for dealing with prostititution have just been increased enforcement. However this only works during the time of increased enforement and often has the effect of just pushing the problem to other areas. The Task Force was created by neighborhood residents to seek a variety of creative short and long term solutions to the problem and to help the political leaders to find the will to deal with the issue.
Accomplishments of the Task Force
* Demonstrated, through research and anecdotal evidence, to various City and County elected and appointed officials, how prostitution was a problem.
* Encouraged the various participants and their agencies to reevaluate their current policies and practices in dealing with prostitution and to be creative in prostitution problem solving.
* Facilitated the resolution of system issues and glitches.
* Asked Tampa Crossroads to create Prostitutes and Johns Treatment Programs prior to them obtaining any outside funding sources. All funding for the program was from fees paid by the clients. This program began in October 2001.
* In February 2002 the Task Force asked Tampa Police Department to seek participation in the Trespass Warning Program from all businesses, residences and properties along Nebraska Avenue from Downtown to City Limits. This allows TPD to act as agents for those owners and ask any trespassers to leave the property or face arrest. This would make it harder for the prostitutes to find places to wait for Johns. The Task Force facilitated having TPD and City of Tampa Neighborhood Relations Office to create a brochure describing the program that could be passed out to interested businesses, residences and properties owners. This brochure is now available on the TPD website. So far TPD has been successful in enrolling 240+ businesses, residences and properties owners in the program and made multiple arrests.
* Supported a Tampa Police Department / TECO Lighting Improvement initiative to increase the street lighting wattage and the number of street light poles in city neighborhoods.
* Helped get Senate Bill 570 and House Bill 415 passed in March 2002. Our State Attorney was one only two who supported the bill. These bills made a 3rd conviction of prostitution or prostitution related activities a felony. It created a 2 year pilot program in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties to provide for the treatment for those convicted prostitution activity This pilot program would provide services including intake and screening, initial drug screening and urinalysis tests, psychosocial assessments, case management, short-term supportive counseling, community referrals, and referrals to residential and nonresidential drug treatment. Tampa Crossroads was selected to run this program in Hillsborough County. This bill also provided that a person convicted for a first or second time for soliciting for prostitution services, will be given the option to attend a rehabilitative educational program recommended by the court for solicitors or buyers of prostitution services. If the person convicted chooses this option, adjudication shall be withheld pending the completion of the requirements of such program. The person is required to attend six classes within 6 months and pay $350 in fees. A person who solicits for prostitution services will be assessed a civil penalty of $500 if the violation results in any judicial disposition other than acquittal or dismissal. Following a second or subsequent violation which involves a motor vehicle and which results in any judicial disposition other than acquittal or dismissal, in addition to any other sentence imposed, the court shall revoke the person's driver's license or driving privilege, effective upon the date of the disposition, for a period of not less than 1 year.
* Asked State Representative Bob Henriquez to study the creation of legislation that would allow local governments to ban hourly rental of motel rooms in high crime areas.
* Created an atmosphere that encouraged the development of the programs like the Prostitution Enforcement Maintenance Program (PEMP). This program was created by two TPD Officers under the direction of TPD District 2 Major Jane Castor from ideas that came out of a TPD District 2 brain storming session that includes members of Southeast and Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Watch Vehicle Patrols. PEMP seeks to disrupt the prostitutes business by shadowing them whenever they try to engage in prostitution, thereby preventing the John's from picking them up.