Okay...this bothers me.

[Mythsaje]

And, oddly enough, I can't seem to hit on exactly why. I distrust handing extra powers to cops in the drug war, since the powers they already have haven't done anything to help the problem so far. That's one of them. The other is that these things tend to be a feel-good measure that just moves the problem elsewhere.

Any thoughts?

____________________

New laws could assist police
Measures to fight prostitution, drugs to go before Tacoma City Council

Beleaguered Tacoma police wanted another tool to fight prostitution and drug traffic in some areas of the city.
The City Council is about to deliver with SOAP and SODA.

Twin ordinances with those acronyms will be introduced during tonight’s council meeting.

Using them, a court can ban people convicted of drug or prostitution crimes from certain areas of the city, with certain exceptions, said assistant city attorney Jennifer Taylor.

more...
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/5978072p-5256237c.html

[wtmusic]

1. It should bother you

Do your time, pay the price, and you're free. For everyone. Child molesters included.

[napi21]

9. I've got a problem with including child molesters.

For many reasons, but the biggest one is MY ability to get a fair price if I decide to sell my house! That would be considered a material piece of info, so under realestate laws, I would have to include on the disclosure for that a CM lived next door. Just how likely would I be to be able to sell my house for what it's worth today?

On many crimes, I agree with you. I have personally fought for felons to get their voting rights back after they've served their time, but it seems CM's always seem to go back to their old ways. Would you prefer someone convicted of Cm NEVER be released from prison?

[wtmusic]

17. Put it this way

We should make the punishment fit the crime. If voters decide CMs deserve life in prison, I'm all for it.

But once they're out, they're out. I've been through the recidivism argument many times, and you can back up rates from 17% to 70%, depending on who you want to believe. Stigmatizing someone who has done their time and sincerely wants to make a clean start is a poor way to run a democracy, and condones stigmatizing in general, which looks and sounds a lot like racism.

I can't think of a crime more abhorrent on many levels, but funding for treatment has consistently been abysmal because no one in politics wants to even talk about it, much less try to help CM ex-cons.

[cherokeeprogressive]

15. I think convicted child molesters should go away for life. First offense.

Having been married to the victim of child molestation I can attest to how it destroys lives. Some victims of molestation never get over it. My ex-wife still hasn't. She was molested by her father. A few months after he died she called me in tears to tell me that over ten females in her family came forward with their own stories about how he molested them. God only knows how many neighbors and non-family members the sick fuck diddled. He was a bully toward women, and that's why no one ratted him out. Even with years of therapy that started after our divorce, she still cannot sustain an honest, loving relationship.

Given that the recidivism rate for child molesters is as high as 77% by some estimates, I'd say either cut their cocks and fingers off or put them in prison with huge hulking violent offenders and let them spend the rest of their sick, miserable lives there.

You'll excuse me if I don't agree with your notion that everyone is rehabilitated by a little isolation from society. With child molesters I'd say that from what I've read, being isolated from society makes them MORE hungry for more sick and twisted behavior upon release.

Child Molesters and Recidivism

Child Molester Recidivism 77%

[napi21]

2. I have a silly question.

If you have a group of people who have already demonstratd their willingness to ignor the laws, why in the world would they think that same group would obey a ban?

[Mythsaje]

5. I know...

That seems weird to me too.

It's another example, to me, of posturing to no good purpose.

[Sherman A1]

3. Restricts freedom

of movement, even after you have paid your debt to society?

[uppityperson]

4. Drug Areas? Prostitution Areas? wow, how did they get them all together?

odd, I thought drug problems were widespread, not grouped in particular areas. Not that sure about prostitution since I don't know much about that.

[Selatius]

6. Legalize and regulate the drugs, and legalize and regulate prostitution.

Bring the problem out into the open by regulating it and taking control of the market away from drug pushers and pimps. If you can't get rid of the problem, then at least control it.

[The Straight Story]

7. It's another feel good law

Makes some people feel safer, won't be applied across the board and only to certain people that someone doesn't like (racism...).

[Solly Mack]

8. damn

just damn

[sandnsea]

10. They do this in Europe

They have certain areas where drug dealers are known to hang out and if they catch a drug dealer in that area, they get a warning to stay out. If they catch them there again, big time offense. Some people seem to think there are absolutely no drug laws in Europe, but that just isn't the case. Not even in so-called enlightened countries like Denmark and such. The biggest difference, of course, is that they have plenty of treatment instead of prison cells.

[pooja]

11. You are much better off creating areas that allow drug use and

prostitution leagally, then the police could focus on other things like actually protecting citizens and staying out of the corruption involved in the "busting" of these things

[EstimatedProphet]

12. It's because they have a stain on thier soul

Once convicted, always guilty. Forever. No exceptions.

BTW this post is :sarcasm:

[me b zola]

13. Portland already has this

It is called the "drug free zone". I like to call it the "Constitution-free zone".

I look forward to the day when it gets challenged in court.

[catnhatnh]

14. This is a double-plus GOOD law....

Just like hatecrime (ie:mindcrime) laws that protect us from ungood thinkers by increasing jail time and punishing just a perceived attept to do evil or using intent to double punishment....Thank GOD Big Brother is clever enough to pass these laws even though the acronym for "stay out of prostitution areas" is "SOPA" not "SOAP"...soap and soda SOUND "SOOOO Amerikan"....

[TreasonousBastard]

16. Yadda, yadda, yadda, another magic biullet to...

solve the problem.

It ain't gonna work, of course, but it's cheap, dosn't make the cops or anyone else actually work, and the politicians can all take a bow on the great job they're doing. So, now the cops can drive by once a night and see if one of the "usual suspects" is hanging out and then make a big deal of the bust. Everyone's happy but the people who want the problem solved.

Ever since prehistoric humans found out it's fun to get laid and get high, we've been getting laid and high, and there's no stopping it. Such things can be controlled so they're not a public nuisance, though, if someone looks at weith the slightest amount of common sense.

Might ask how NYC cleaned up Needle Park and a few others. Might also ask if it just moved the problems to other, less interesting, neighborhoods. And how much it cost.

We're not enlightened enough to go back to red light districts and decriminilization of small amounts of dope, but that's really a large part of the answer.