10/10/1977 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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--. - Mr. Lieuallen wondered, assuming that a certain amount of prostitution goes on that is not visible on the streets, whether the same kind of crimi nal acti vi ty W*iS associated wi th that. Chief Brooks repli ed e yes, but in considerably less amounts. He said where prostitution is controlled, it reduces the prostitution problem by 75 percent or more, getting to a size more easily controlled. Mr. Delay said the prostitution ordinance had been discussed several times, with the potential for abuse seeming to be the main con- cern. Chief Brooks had indicated he would establish proper pro- cedures to eliminate possible harassment and selective abuse. Mr. Delay wondered if, in fact, such procedural guidelines are good police practices, whether those guidelines could be accommodated by tightening the language and adding procedural guidelines to the ordinance. Chief Brooks said he would prefer to set up procedures immediately and wondered about writing procedures into the law. He said the established procedures would be reviewed by the Prosecutors Office, the City Manager, and the Council. He noted also that all information coming to the Police Department from citizens or other groups would go to a unit that would monitor the prostitution problem. Mr. Delay said his real concern was a question of whether or not Chief Brooks could be comfortable with tighter procedural wording in the ordinance, if that were possible. Chief Brooks said he would have to see the language and then discuss it with the prosecuter before he could give a concrete answer. Mr. Delay then asked the City Attorney if it were possible to accommodate in the ordinance the areas in which there might definitely be a problem, i.e~, the poten- e tial for abuse. He wondered if it might be possible to do a better job of more accurately defining what would be meant by "repeated" or engaging in soliciting. Mr. Long replied there was evidently an assumption that the present ordinance is in some respects not effec- tive. He reiterated the previously made statements of claims of a ordinance being arbitrarily enforced as being old claims. He noted, again, the Portland prostitution ordinance had been dealt with in courts and upheld as being legal, constitutional, and not unduly susceptible to being arbitrarily enforced. He also noted if it were abused, there were consequences within the Police Department to deal with police officers. Mr. Delay said he understood the language as meeting the minimum standards of testability for vagueness. He wondered, however, if the City Attorney felt more restrictive language could be accommodated without much difficulty. Mr. Long replied with a qualified yes, noting more restrictive language would possibly mean that the ordinance would be less effective. C. B. 1548--Concerning prostitution; amending Section 4.745 of City Code 1971, and declaring an emergency, was read by council bill number and title only, there being no Council member present requesting that it be read in full. e 10/10/77--4 -,,,1..,