Prostitution - Ann Arbor Called 'Relatively Clean'

City/County/Region 

Page 3

The Ann Arbor News

Sunday, October 30,1977

Prostitution

Ann Arbor Called 'Relatively Clean’

By Glenn Gilbert

Staff Reporter

Ann Arbor is not "busting out all over" with prostitution, says Police Chief Walter E. Krasny.

The city is “relatively clean." say Krasny and other local officials.

Still, 1977 will never go down as the year prostitution here was licked.

In fact, some say street-walking prostitutes have never been more bold. 

"It's just repulsive," says one S. Fourth Avenue merchant, who winces in disgust when he sees them outside his door. 

Police "are not persistent" in their efforts to curb it, charges the businessman. 

MAYOR PRO-TEM Louis D. Belcher says he has been aware of prostitution as "more of a problem this year than ever before."

But Belcher quickly adds: "Police have responded when they have been asked lo respond." He also suggests: "Look at Ann Arbor in perspective. We don’t have x-rated theaters. You can't support a big pornography industry in Ann Arbor . . . We're not the type of city that attracts prostitutes...Prostitution has't flourished in Ann Arbor." 

Nevertheless, Ann Arbor's massage parlors and reputed sex shops — the Velvet Touch and U.S. Health Spa among them -- continue to do an apparently steady business. 

And the Tokyo Health Spa, which claims to be legitimate business, remains open despite a May raid that led to the arrest of Kim Myo Chong Norfleet on a charge of being a disorderly person. Her jury trial is set for Dec. 14 in Kalamazoo’s Ninth District.

MOST DIRECTLY concerned about the problem seem lo be those who work in businesses along that strip on S. Fourth Avenue , between Washington and Liberty Streets, which includes the Fourth Avenue Adult News and the Velvet Touch.

Prostitutes working the street became "quite bold" this year, said one merchant. It prompted a late April crackdown by police that netted 11 arrests on charges of soliciting in one night.

Since that clean-up things have been better, said one merchant. The night time street-walking problem seems to have disappeared, said an employe at one business.

But another merchant claimed the April crackdown seemed to result only in a week's subsiding of the problem. Attendant publicity appeared only to worsen the situation and whet customer demand, he added. 

One merchant says the street's reputation detrimentally affects business but another says "it’s always been a weird street" and she does not feel it adversely affects business. Things won't change, she added. 

Street prostitution "from time to time rears its ugly head," said Chief Krasny. "For a time we thought there was almost no prostitution in Ann Arbor," he adds.

HE SAID there is no question that it is worse now than it used to be -- "more open." 

What can is be done about prostitution? 

Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney William F.  Delhey says he has charged 14 Ann Arbor soliciting cases brought to him by police this year.

Last year’s caseload was nine.

Cases must be prosecuted under a state law. Upon conviction, first time offenders may be sentenced to a maximum of 90 days in jail and/or a $100 fine. Second-time offenders may get up to a year in jail and/or a $500 fine. Only upon a third conviction does a soliciting offense become a felony punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment. 

Pandering - being a pimp - is more serious. It’s a felony punishable up to 20 years imprisonment. But pandering is tough to prove, usually necessitating the testimony of a tattletale prostitute who has become ticked off with the boss. Delhey and Krasny say pantry charges are rare locally.

Also listed as felonies under state laws are: placing of a wife in a house of prostitution; excepting the earnings of a prostitute; detaining a female in a house of prostitution for death; transporting a female for prostitution and maintaining a house of ill fame.

LISTED AS misdemeanors besides soliciting are: engage in services for the purpose of prostitution in leasing houses for the purpose of prostitution.

Clamping down on street prostitution usually involves use of undercover officers. The going rate local prostitutes seem to be charging is around $25 at minimum with the sky the limit, say Krasny and Delhey. 

Attempting to shut down a massage parlor appears to be another matter entirely. “I wouldn’t say we’re stuck with these places, but they’re well oriented.”

Other areas, include Detroit and Port Huron have issued state do you want statutes to padlock massage parlors after exhaustive police investigations.

It could be done, says Delhey but would mean undercover officers would have to perform sexual acts, he added.  

“Are you going to spend tax dollars” for such a task? asks Delhey. “I’m not sure you want to do that. He answers, while admitting other cities have authorized it.

To deploy a special police squad to fight prostitution “gets into the area — how important is it to stop it?”says Krasney. 

“IT TAKES weeks to build a court case,” says Krasney. Evaluating his police force resources, grass and he says he feels it is far more important to concentrate on combating burglaries, grapes, robberies and murders.

Mayor Albert H. Wheeler agrees. “In the last three or four years there’s been a steady decline in major crimes. That is in significant measure due to police concentration on serious crime,” contends the mayor. Prostitution is not one of those “serious “crimes.

Would a stronger state in local laws help wage effective war on prostitution ? Are the courts dealing stiff sentences? 

The state law is “usable, ” says Delhey. “It’s quite clear and soliciting,“ he adds.

As a deterrent, however, penalties and sentences should be stiffer, says the prosecutor.

State law seems “enforceable,” says Mayor Pro-Tem Belcher. Soliciting should not be classified as a higher crime, he adds. 

State lawmakers appear satisfied with current statutes affecting prostitution.

“THERE APPEARS to be no movement afoot in the Capitol to enact legislation amending the prostitution loss,” says State Rep. Paul A. Rosenbaum,  D- 48th District chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Majority Ann Arbor City Council Republicans plan to propose a local anti—pornography ordinance. It will be aimed at protecting people “who don’t want it thrust upon them,” says Belcher.

The proposed ordinance also may contain provisions related to zoning and licensing and minimum standard for masseuses, San Belcher.

“ Licensing — what's that going to do?” asks Democratic Mayor Wheeler. The State Supreme Court, in recent ruling, sharply limited what localities can do about pornography.

Krasny says he is impressed with local court dispositions in soliciting cases. But he said he did not know what type of sentences were being given.

Delhey declined to comment on whether sentences are adequate.

“There’s no way to ever stop the worlds oldest profession. You can slow it down. You can arrest them one day and they’ll be out the next day. We should discourage it; that’s what we’ve been trying to do,” says Belcher. 

“Yes it should be stopped. But it’s something you’re never going to stop. You can drive it undercover. When the occasions arises you do something about it. Otherwise you let it be known you have an open door,“ says Krasny.  

“We have no magic wand,” says Wheeler.