| In 2007 community members working with the Alliance for a Safe & Diverse DC began researching how the District’s prostitution policies affect people in areas targeted by police for enforcement. Laws and policies enacted in recent years--including the “Prostitution Free Zones” and Chief Lanier's “All Hands on Deck” Initiative-- and long standing public policy approaches to commercial sex have increased penalties and policing of people suspected of engaging in prostitution. This community based reasearch wass lead by Different Avenues in partnership with Dr. Salvador Vidal Ortiz (a sociologist from American University), Dr. Penelope Saunders (of the Best Practices Policy Project) and the Alliance for a Safe & Diverse DC. The project brought together members of affected communities (including trans people, immigrants, sex workers) and representatives from local service providers. We will use the results of the project to educate the public about the needs of marginalized people, advocate for what is working in current policy and inform city officials and the communities affected about what is harmful. |
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| "Move Along: Policing Sex Work in Washington D.C." |
| Ground-breaking report to be released on May 1 |
| Today we are releasing the report Move Along: Policing Sex Work in Washington D.C. – the product of a year-long community based research project
You can download the executive summary or full report below: Executive Summary - Move Along: Policing Sex Work in Washington D.C. Full report - Move along: Policing Sex Work in Washington D.C. Come celebrate International Workers’ Day and sex worker resistance to discrimination and criminalization! What: Release of the ground-breaking report Move Along: Policing Sex Work in Washington D.C. Copie of the report will be available at the event and also online that afternoon, check back at this page to download it. When: Thursday, May 1st, 2008, 3pm-5pm Where: Flemming Center, 1426 9th St NW at P St NW DC * Refreshments will be provided.* We welcome friends and allies to join us on May Day to learn more about the abuses of the DC police department towards sex workers and people profiled as sex workers. This project is the result of work by representatives of communities affected by policing in the District including sex workers, transgender people, and immigrants. It is our hope that the report, our findings and recommendations will be useful tools to work for change in the District’s approach to commercial sex. Our key findings include: Survey respondents who had interactions with police reported negative experiences six times more often than positive experiences during those interactions and when locked up. These experiences included confiscation of condoms and other safe sex supplies by police, assault, strip search, being asked to provide sexual favors to the police, verbal abuse, discrimination and false arrest because officers profiled the person as a prostitute, and anti-immigrant discrimination. Latinos, transgender people and youth and young adults were disproportionately subjected to police mistreatment and abuse “They attacked me instead of helping me,” said a young Latina transgender woman when describing the police reaction when she called for help after being sexually assaulted. Communities affected by policing of prostitution want to see the District change its approach to the issue of commercial sex, including considering stopping prostitution-related arrests, holding police accountable for abuse, changing prostitution laws, increasing resources for services, and supporting sex workers and others to organize to defend their human rights. For More Information, Call Different Avenues- 202-829-2103 |