Prostitutes New Westminster
New Westminster, BC has ongoing discussions around sex work. Verified escort listings exist locally. Street-based sex work occurs, notably along 12th Street, though reports suggest it’s less frequent than in the past.
Safety is a significant concern. In 2005, the city council passed a resolution allocating $5,000 to improve safety for sex workers. This followed incidents highlighting risks, including the deaths of two escorts found in a local building.
Brothel listings and erotic massage services are advertised in New Westminster. Police have conducted undercover operations, such as the HI-8-3
sting on 8th Street in 1995, targeting individuals soliciting sex workers.
Comparative Regional Cases
Lockport, NY has faced prostitution-related issues involving spas. FBI raids occurred at Lockport spas, leading to arrests. A retired Lockport police detective was sentenced in a prostitution case, and a spa owner was accused of using spas in Lockport and Rochester for prostitution.
Prostitution sting operations have occurred in the area, including arrests at Tewksbury hotels and a West Side operation yielding several arrests. A Lockport man was arrested for solicitation of a minor.
Legal and Social Context
Prostitution laws vary. It remains illegal in most US states, except for licensed brothels in some Nevada counties and decriminalized selling in Maine. Canada’s laws have been debated, including a Supreme Court case. New Zealand decriminalized sex work.
Research explores various aspects: the negotiation of space among sex workers (e.g., in Cebu), demand reduction, the underground economy, and historical contexts like prostitution in the American West. Groups like FIRST (Fraser Integrated Services for Sex Trade Workers) work on solutions.
Challenges persist, including safety risks for workers, links to sex trafficking, and societal debates around legal frameworks and harm reduction versus criminalization.
*TAGS* – 12th Street solicitation, HI-8-3 sting operation, Fraser Integrated Services
