Kerb-Crawlers Face Asbos As Well As Prosecution

Kerb crawlers face Asbos and prosecution in Dundee as part of a two-pronged attack on prostitution in the city.

New laws come into force next month which, for the first time in Scotland, specify statutory offences which criminalise the purchase of sex on Scotland’s streets.

A further boost to the bid to reduce prostitution is £200,000 of government funding for the city which will be used to help street girls escape a lifestyle which police say they only resort to for survival.

Prostitution is said to be no worse than in any other city in Scotland but the Dundee Partnership has identified the problem as a priority and has drawn together key players from criminal justice, the local authority, health and the voluntary sector to develop plans to tackle the problem.

The Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007, which comes into force on October 15, is intended to send a clear message that kerb crawling will no longer be tolerated.

However, the government has also published guidance for local authorities and their community planning partners.

Chief Inspector Dave Tonks, in charge of operational policing in Dundee, said: “The traditional approach to policing prostitution has been to use enforcement against the prostitutes themselves.

“However, this approach has had little impact on those who engage in this activity and has failed to take account of the reasons why individuals prostitute themselves.

“Without kerb crawlers there would be no on-street prostitution.

“Through the Dundee Safety Partnership we will identify methods and opportunities for prostitutes to find routes out of prostitution.

“It is a more holistic approach to prostitution involving legislation which enables a broader policing approach.”

He added: “Dundee has its fair share of prostitution but increasingly we have seen criminal activity associated with that – in particular robbery and drug abuse.”