Investigators: Fund money never made it to help prostitutes 

06:14 PM PDT on Thursday, May 12, 2005

By LINDA BYRON / KING 5 News

Seattle made a decision in 2002 to go after prostitutes' customers - or "johns" because they rarely faced punishment. Johns would pay big fines and hte money would go to put on vice stings and to fund treatment. But more than two years later, KING 5 Investigators found that johns still have little to fear and the prostitutes still get virtually no help.

Along Seattle's Aurora Avenue most any night, prostitutes are easy to spot, and easy for police to arrest.

It's johns who are elusive. When police stop them, it's often impossible to prove they were patronizing prostitutes. Those that are arrested usually get their charges dropped simply by paying a fine.

"If there were no johns, we wouldn't have a prostitution problem," said Sgt. Tony Bailey of Seattle Vice.

But targeting johns is not where Seattle puts its resources.

Take a look at the numbers: Last year, only 49 johns were charged with patronizing a prostitute compared with more than 400 prostitutes charged with selling sex.

The word is out: You have little to fear if you patronize a prostitute in Seattle.

"I think, unfortunately, we've acquired that reputation, which we're working very hard to change," said Bailey.

Seattle's promised change and tough action before. In 1993, Seattle Police vowed to send dear "john" letters to the owners of cars seen repeatedly "circling areas where known prostitutes are working."

KING

In 1994, the City Council vowed to put the johns' names on television. In 1995 there was a plan to publish the johns' names in the paper.

The city never followed through.

"Those were all sort of embarrassment strategies. I think they address the wrong problem," said Bailey.

But most police officers believe embarrassment is the only strategy that deters the johns.

"You know 'Are you gonna call my wife, are you gonna tell my work?' That's the first questions they ask, not 'oh, I'm sorry' or any remorse whatsoever," said Bailey.

Two-and-a half years ago, city attorney Tom Carr came up with his own plan. Make johns pay a $500 fine and seize whatever money they have on them when they're busted. The cash would pay for more police stings, but most of it would go to help get prostitutes off the streets.

City analysts predicted the fines would add up to $125,000 a year, which means there should be $250,000 accumulated by now. But the KING 5 Investigators found the fund virtually empty, while not a cent has gone to help prostitutes.

"Not a penny has been spent yet," said councilman Nick Licata, who chairs the Public Safety Committee.

Licata said the fact that the city has been collecting that money for two years and none has gone to help prostitutes is "totally disappointing."

It turns out that court clerks have been sending the fines to the wrong place - the city's general fund.

Licata said he was disappointed to find out the money wasn't there.

Carr said there's about $70,000 he's working to get transferred back to the victims' fund.

That can't happen soon enough for Seattle Police. They're seeing an alarming increase in teen prostitution. Just two nights ago, a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old were arrested on Aurora Avenue.

Police took them to a secure crisis center called Spruce Street.

But Spruce Street can hold the girls for only three days. Caseworkers would like to get them into long term treatment, and many of the kids are willing to go, but there's no money. The city's victim fund could offer that lifeline.

"If families had the funds, or we had the funds, more girls would get the help they need," said Maggie Faust.

Carr expects to have the funds straightened out quickly, and as a result of KING 5's investigation, Nick Licata will introduce an ordinance to start spending that money within weeks.

Stings are expensive and complicated, but Carr and Licata say once they get the victims' fund sorted out, they're going to look at how to increase the number of john stings. There has only been one so far this year, two in all of last year.

It is going to take more than one or two stings per year to send a message that Seattle does not tolerate prostitution.