Police Crackdown On Men Cruising For Sex

[goodhue]

Source: WCCO News

Sep 11, 2007 11:15 pm US/Central

Police Crackdown On Men Cruising For Sex

Caroline Lowe
Reporting

(WCCO) The city of St. Paul spent several hundred-thousand dollars to renovate Meeker Island Park along the bluffs of the Mississippi River. On a crisp late summer day, it's a perfect spot to take a walk or stop for lunch and enjoy the scenery.

In the past week, it's also become the scene of several stings by vice officers looking for men engaging in sex. The undercover officers were sent there last week after complaints from the community that this beautiful new park area is also a playground for men cruising for sex with other men.

* * *

Heles and other police officials that WCCO-TV talked with reject critics who question stings like the one at the airport that busted U.S. Senator Larry Craig.

"To suggest that this isn't much of a problem and that the police are overreacting and that they have nothing better to do than is sit in public restrooms -- I think is ridiculous," said Heles.

Heles also points out that cruising crackdowns are based on community complaints.

"We don't randomly put together surveillances for public restrooms," he said.

* * *

Read more: http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_254172953.html

[tridim]

1. As Randi Rhodes says, "Stop making sex a sin", the problem will work itself out. nt

[redqueen]

3. Well.. this is more about public sex. n/t

[goodhue]

5. I really don't think the criminal code is driving this behavior

Social and religious codes perhaps

[Captain Hilts]

6. People have a right to go to a park and not see trysts. nt

[Demeter]

2. So When the GOP Comes to Town, There Won't Be Any Local Competition?

Is that sick, or what?

[goodhue]

4. The crackdowns are nothing new

WCCO had essentially the same story 4 years ago . . .

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_276121420.html

Oct 3, 2003 11:10 am US/Central

I-Team: Public Sex In St. Paul And Maple Grove

(WCCO-TV) It's a crisp, fall day at Crosby Park on the Mississippi River in St. Paul. It's a place busy with families. But it's also a place busy with men looking for sex with other men.

An I-Team undercover investigation found blatant, graphic sexual behavior going on in public places.

"The more aggressive guys will come up to you right away and grab you in the groin area and outside of your pants," said Sergeant Gerald Vick of the St. Paul Police Department. "Some will start unbuckling your pants right away."

And this Crosby Park is not the only hotspot. The I-Team also found lewd activity at a public rest stop in Maple Grove. Men disappear into the woods off of the parking lot, often leaving condoms behind.

"It's pretty sickening to be at the picnic table with my family in the middle of the day and watch guys doing their business in plain view of myself, my family," said one neighbor who didn't want to be identified.

* * *

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_276121420.html

[goodhue]

8. The crackdowns don't end the activity but generally just displace it

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_254172953.html

Back in St. Paul, police plan to keep aggressively targeting sexual illegal behavior at the Meeker Island Park so it can be enjoyed by all of the community. To help deter the illicit activity, they will also seek permission from city officials to post photos of men they arrest or tag on the internet.

While they may be successful in cleaning up this newly renovated river park, police also caution similar activity is likely to pop up in other areas.

"That type of behavior never really goes away. It's all crime displacement," said Heles.

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_254172953.html

[Warpy]

7. You know, I don't mind much if they're discreet enough

to go deep into the bushes, and that applies to both sexes and any combination thereof, and only if they pick up after themselves.

What I do mind is cruising that is so blatant it turns into harassment. I also mind people who are not discreet enough to go off the path and out of sight of people who'd like a nice walk and nothing else. I also mind park bushes festooned with used condoms and other detritus.

My guess is that most of those conditions have been occurring in that park.

[goodhue]

9. no need to guess, that is what the story says . . .

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_254172953.html

"We ended up running across a couple of guys in the bushes just next to us engaged in sex. It was disturbing to say the least," he said.

Close to the newly groomed trails, park benches and picnic tables you will also find used condoms and other sexual paraphernalia littering the historic river site.

What the Commander saw that day prompted him to stage several undercover police stings last week. The stings netted at least a dozen men for a variety of public sexual activities.

"Guys who were masturbating in public, guys that were exposing themselves in public and, in fact, a couple incidences where guys have tried to engage in unwanted sexual conduct with undercover officers," said Thommaser.

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_254172953.html

[blossomstar]

10. My thoughts exactly.

Whatever your sexual orientation, sex of any kind should be a PRIVATE matter. These public displays are sickening to say the least and they need professional help if they think it is ok. It should not be allowed in a public park any more than in the middle of the isle in a grocery store. Unacceptable behavior.

[silvermachine]

11. No Comment...

<<<police also caution similar activity is likely to pop up in other areas.>>>

[superconnected]

12. Other than smearing the republicans

Why are they wasting money on this? How about following up on the friggen child molestors, car thefts, and meth dealers. How about estaqblishing a place to report illegal aliens doing illegal activity that will actually do something about it?

Some of us live in crime infested areas and would like the police to stop letting the criminals go.

I really don't care what men do with their sex lives in their spare time. And I'm a woman who wouldn't be out cruising.

Odds of me running into these guys while I'm enjoying a park, hasn't happened yet.

[truthisfreedom]

13. If not for my favorite new thug Larry Craig keeping a firm grip on the headlies,

we wouldn't even be hearing about this. I have mixed feelings about the issue. Gays should be able to cruise safely somewhere, but I don't think a public park is an appropriate place to have sex when children could be present.