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Prostitution Ordinance Proposal
Prostitution Ordinance Proposal

Life in Gastonia is proud to team up with RAGGonline.com in pushing for tougher ordinances and an increased crack down on prostitution and the crime elements associated with it in the West District neighborhoods of Gastonia.  This is a growing problem that the police alone can not combat and defeat.  It is going to take a concentrated effort by the police, residents , and our city officials to make sure this criminal activity does not continue to destroy what was once thriving and very proud neighborhoods.

We have posted our letter that was sent to the City Council, Mayor, and Chief of Police with our suggestions to attack this problem.  In 2005 Charlotte began an attempt to fight the same problem in their city and they have had good success.  We have provided links at the bottom of the page for you to view the Prostitution Exclusion Zone Ordinance adopted in Charlotte as well as the statistics from a 4 year study conducted by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Crime Analysis Division showing the improvements that the ordinance has made.

Charlotte's success didn't happen over night with a simple ordinance change.  It took a combined effort by the police and the elected officials to make sure the neighborhoods were once again safe and now are experiencing growth and new investment.  The City of Charlotte made investments and lured new businesses to the area and the police worked a concentrated plan to make sure the the new ordinances were strictly enforced.  In conversations we had with police in these areas the response was overwhelmingly positive.

We, along with RAGG, pledge our total support to Councilwoman Craig as she tries to assist these neighborhoods in combating crime and deterioration.  We hope that other council members will join in and support the effort.  Without getting too political, we wanted to express disappointment that we have not heard from Councilman Reid as some of the neighborhoods that need the most assistance are in his Ward.



Life in Gastonia Letter to City Council, the Mayor, and the Chief of Police


July 28, 2010
Gastonia City Council
Gastonia City Manager
Gastonia Chief of Police

Re: Prostitution in the West District of Gastonia
 
Greetings,
I would like to bring your attention to an ongoing problem in the West District and also share some research we have compiled that may help with the problem. I am sure it is not a surprise to anyone that prostitution is a very serious problem in the West District. The Gastonia Police have done an extraordinary job in combatting this problem but they simply do not have the necessary resources to adequately address the situation which is getting worse. We believe that it is time for the city to do more than rely on just the police and to make sure the West District is given the much needed support.
I personally have spoken with many officers about the problem of prostitution and I believe they are as frustrated as the residents regarding the problem. On our site, Life in Gastonia, we have fairly well documented the problem and we receive more feedback and response regarding prostitution than any other item we address. Obviously prostitution, and the other crimes that are quite commonly associated with prostitution such as drugs and assault, are a plague in our communities.
The time has come for the Gastonia City Council to address this issue and start making some changes to combat the problem. We have been given lip service for too long and we have yet to see any proposal that would help or even address it. The police cannot do it alone and the residents are helpless.
The staff at Life in Gastonia has spent many hours researching and talking with different people in Charlotte as well as law enforcement in Gastonia and we would like to propose a plan for you to study. Charlotte implemented a prostitution exclusion ordinance that has seen very positive results. We feel a similar ordinance in some of the communities in the West District could have equally positive results and at least improve the problem if not eliminate it.
We spoke with Captain Bruce Bellamy of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and he felt the prostitution exclusion zones have been a tremendous help to the officers that patrol the areas they have definitely assisted in cleaning up some of the areas in question. Coupled with more investment from the City of Charlotte, what was once an area of decay has seen resurgence in the last 5 years and is now an area that is experiencing new development and increased property values. 
We ask that the City Council study the ordinance that Charlotte has implemented and begin to take similar action. We have attached a copy of the ordinance for your review as well as a study conducted by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Crime Analysis department that shows the numbers to support that the ordinance works. The study shows that during the period of research (4 years) there has been a 34% drop in calls for service relating to prostitution and that arrests have declined by 54% in the areas covered by the ordinance. These are numbers that cannot be ignored and we feel the City Council should take notice and also take similar action to help protect our community.
We continually hear that we can never get rid of prostitution you can only move it somewhere else and we agree. Where we disagree is that we will never move it out of our neighborhood without some help. We appreciate all of the effort that the Gastonia Police Department has undertaken in their efforts and now it is time for the City Council to act. Go to any of the media sites and type in Gastonia. We have links to many of these stories on our site if you would like to review them. There are more stories about prostitution than any other single topic. Our neighborhoods are full of cars from South Carolina that continually drive around for hours looking for hookers. We believe most come straight up Highway 321 and they cruise our neighborhoods. They never leave disappointed.   Gastonia is not getting a reputation for prostitution it already has one. We do not want our community known for prostitution and we would like to think you do not want the city known for it either.
We do not care if the prostitutes just go somewhere else. This may seem like a selfish attitude but we are the ones fighting to save our neighborhood and we are the ones asking for our elected leaders to help us. The City Council was elected to serve Gastonia. Our apologies to Bessemer City, Dallas, or Belmont if the prostitutes move to their cities but you were not elected to serve those cities. Help US! Help NOW!
I look forward to a response and your opinions relating to this issue. I am available to discuss this matter at your convenience.
Thank you,
Life in Gastonia
editor@lifeingastonia.com


Councilwoman Craig's response to our proposal
(7/28/2010)

Thanks for this information.....I will speak with Chief Adams sometime today and see what his thoughts might be and what the next steps could be in looking into getting an ordinance passed.....as you well know, this is an issue I have addressed for the last year in West Gastonia and yes, we have done a few things that slows the business down for a short time and then it just starts all over again.....we need something permanent.
In fact I spoke with the City Manager recently about a Landlord ordinance in holding the Landlords as property owners accountable.....maybe I am wrong but I think the root cause of the prostitutions are the drug houses and the pimps....I would say we need to have a two fold ordinance if
possible....Thanks for the research and I will follow up soon.


Letter of Support from RAGGonline.com
(7/30/2010)

Please be advised that after reading the detailed reports, RAGG-Residents for Accountability in Gastonia Government, endorses the proposed prostitution exclusion zones in West Gastonia.  We at RAGG endorse any measures which would assist our local law enforcement agencies in fighting crime as well as programs which raise property values and community pride.  The ongoing problem of prostitution has plagued this city long enough and this proposal at least warrants an earnest look by city leaders and elected officials.  Thank you. 

Robert Kellogg
Representative of RAGG



To view the Charlotte Prostitution Exclusion Zone Ordinance click HERE.

To view the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Four Year Study Statistics click HERE.

To visit the Life in Gastonia Prostitution Page click HERE.








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