Atlanta to consider ‘banishing’ prostitutes and johns
Judges could decide whether to give offenders boot from the city during probation
Yes, “banishing.”
Under legislation an Atlanta City Council committee is expected to consider today, prostitutes who are convicted of soliciting sex in certain parts of town could face stiff jail time, fines, and being prohibited from visiting certain parts of Atlanta - or perhaps even being banished from the city limits. The same would apply to the men and women who might purchase their services.
The Atlanta Police Department is behind the proposal, which is part of Mayor Kasim Reed’s plan to improve the quality of life in downtown.
According to WAGA’s Morse Diggs, downtown residents and business owners are frustrated by the frequent sight of used condoms, lubricants, and, occasionally, bodily fluids. Diggs reports that the practice has become so common in the area that sex workers use cell phones to warn each other about patrolling police. (Regular CL readers might recognize downtown pharmacy owner Richard Miller, who was quoted in the 2011 cover story about south downtown, in the clip.)