ATLANTA — The city of Atlanta is looking at creative ways to crack down on prostitution in Midtown. Under a proposed initiative, convicted prostitutes arrested in certain parts of the city would be banned from returning.
"Late, around 3, 4, 5 in the morning, when most people are asleep, there's a very serious amount of prostitution occurring in the Midtown area," said Atlanta City Councilmember Kwanza Hall.
Part of Hall's council district includes Midtown Atlanta.
Hall said that prostitution has long been a problem in the midtown area, dating back to the 1970s. He wants to extend the no-cruising ordinance hours from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. to give police another tool to crack down on prostitution.
The city is also looking at starting an initiative called Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution, or SOAP, to curb the illegal sex trade on Midtown streets. Under the law, convicted prostitutes arrested in designated SOAP zones would be banned from returning to the area.
Hall is aware of that effort and agrees with some civil libertarians that such a law might be tricky to enforce, but he's confident that a carefully worded ordinance could solve the problem while still protecting civil rights.
"It's almost like a drug dealer that goes back to the same corner," said Hall. "There's got to be some way that we eventually hold them accountable for the bad activity they're bringing into our community."
Many Midtown residents support any action the city takes to crack down on the prostitution problem.
"At 5 in the morning, I see prostitution," said Midtown resident David Grant. "You've got everything out here, and somehow it needs to be addressed."
Atlanta City Council is in recess and won't meet again until April 16.
http://bcove.me/ckolrh28
WSBTV
