San Francisco May Soon Be Hooker Haven

Proposed law would ban cops from arresting prostitutes
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 22, 2008 7:39 AM CDT
San Francisco May Soon Be Hooker Haven
A sex worker who goes by the name "Violet" poses for a picture at a bus stop as a bystander waits for a bus in downtown San Francisco.   (AP Photo/Darryl Bush)

San Francisco could soon become the first major city in the US where prostitutes won't be arrested, the AP reports. The city votes next month on the controversial Proposition K to decriminalize sex work. The measure won't actually legalize the trade, but will forbid local law enforcement from investigating or prosecuting anyone for prostitution.

Backers of the measure say it will allow sex workers to organize for safety and save the city the $11 million it spends annually arresting prostitutes. Proposition K's opponents—who include the mayor and district attorney—argue that the move will make it tougher to tackle human trafficking, and is likely to result in a huge influx of prostitutes and pimps to the city.
(More prostitute stories.)

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