Edmonton police have released the results of a four-day long enforcement campaign against prostitution on 118 Avenue.
Between Wednesday, April 3 and Saturday April 6, officers with the EPS VICE Section and Northeast Division patrolled a section of 118 Avenue, following up on concerns from residents.
Over the operation, police said 28 men were arrested, one of them was found to be a repeat offender, with an outstanding warrant, and 22 vehicles were seized.
Police said, in Canada, it’s illegal to solicit for the purpose of prostitution in a public place, and it’s also illegal to commit a sex act in public.
“A motor vehicle is considered a public place when it is on a public roadway,” Staff Sgt. Jerry Nash with the EPS VICE Section said.
Officers also focused on assisting street-level sex workers in the area – and took 13 women into the SNUG program.
The program started in 2005, and is a collaboration between Alberta Health Services (AHS), Metis Child and Family Services Society, the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation (CEASE), RCMP KARE, and EPS – to provide services and support for alleged sex workers, including exit strategies, medical attention and community support.
Last week’s sting was part of the “You Cruse, You Lose” awareness campaign, that launched in 2006 to keep johns from ‘cruising’ city neighbourhoods, and soliciting sex.
