Brown wrote about how these arrests may be reducing the safety of sex workers, rather than actually reducing human trafficking. This transcript was created by a computer and edited by a volunteer. We start today with a conversation about sex work and human trafficking. Karina Brown is a reporter for Courthouse News. She wrote a story in Willamette Week about one particular sting set up by the Portland Police Bureau.
Police say the sting, like more than similar ones over the last few years, was intended to prevent the exploitation of people who are forced into sex work. But sex workers who do the job voluntarily say these undercover operations are making them less safe.
Karina Brown, welcome to Think Out Loud. Karina Brown : Hi Dave, thanks for having me. Miller : Thanks for joining us. So you started this recent article with the story of this Portland Police bureau sting that snared Dave Hunt, the former Democratic politician. But besides the fact that he was a prominent figure in the Oregon political establishment, it seems that what happened to him was not all that uncommon in Portland.
How do these stings work? And then they show up to a hotel and police arrest them. Miller : What normally happens after that, in terms of the criminal justice process? Brown : For the most part, people plead guilty to commercial sexual solicitation, which is a misdemeanor. They tie the demand for sexual services to human trafficking. They say that forced sex work or human trafficking is basically like a market response. Sex workers, on the other hand, say that this kind of demand has always been around, will always be around, and what they actually need is labor protections, and to not fear these kinds of stings and to not fear the police.
She said this to you:. But what I would encourage police to do is listen to what sex workers want. Policing us makes the problem worse. Can you help us understand her argument? How is violence against sex workers more likely if police go after some of the men who patronize them? If they, as you explained, try to reduce demand? Brown : Basically police, when they set up these things, they have no idea who these people who are responding to their ads are.
