I applaud police for their willingness to get creative in fighting crime and protecting communities. The local BIZ supported the idea -- verbally and financially. The overwhelming majority of residents in our neighbourhood approve of the initiative.
But there are naysayers. A few enlightened privacy bureaucrats have started spouting off about possible violations of privacy legislation.
It's not insignificant that they make their living finding violations of privacy legislation, not fighting crime. I wonder how many of these privileged ideologues live in neighbourhoods like ours.
I'm guessing they haven't raised kids on streets littered with condoms. I figure they haven't counselled women traumatized by horny johns mistaking them for prostitutes. I wonder if they've ever seen a 13-year-old getting into cars with lascivious strangers. It's not likely that any of their daughters is on the list of sex trade workers that have permanently disappeared into the night.
I have to admit I was angered by the philosophical objections of privacy experts. I'm ticked off by the way they seemingly dismissed or discounted a creative police initiative targeting actual exploitation of individuals and communities.
I agree that personal intervention is preferable to public shame. I would much rather pay a private pastoral visit to the home of the person prowling our streets. There are things that person (and their partner) should know about the risks associated with prostitution.
But privacy legislation actually prevents private discourse by not allowing even limited community access to the address connected with their licence plate.
I'd settle for police delivering a letter of concern to the home of the person who picked up a prostitute. I could even forgo the suggestion that the delivery vehicle be labelled with bold "Anti-Prostitution Task Force" lettering. It wouldn't take many of these suburban deliveries to slow the trolling for flesh in the inner city. But in the interests of "privacy," maybe a simple letter to the home would suffice.
But I'm sure privacy experts would critique this as well.
When privacy legislation prevents personal expression of concern, it actually forces us to go public to get word to the people picking up prostitutes. Then they criticize us again.
I think I get it now. They obviously don't want us to talk privately to these johns. But they don't want us to publicly address them either. It's becoming evident that they prefer silence to speech, and inaction over any action which may offend someone.
Crime will flourish in a society which discourages intervention, deters creativity and threatens attempts to increase public safety.
Perhaps these experts might consider how they can help us deal with the scourge of prostitution while still respecting privacy of people in public spaces. But I doubt they will, because it's not in their job description -- or in their narrow self-interest.
Middle-class ideologues rail about their dread of "big brother" while most people in my neighbourhood would love a "big brother" or anyone else who would protect them from crime and terror on the streets.
The question is not whether there is a big brother. The question is whether the big brother is caring or apathetic, understanding or oblivious to our struggles in the neighbourhood.
More Orwellian is the person who judges that their philosophical right to privacy overrides our practical right to safety.
We're not talking about peeking into anyone's bedroom. We're just trying to deal with people willing to expose their privates for strangers in public lanes and streets.
"Now I can't even drive a car in your neighbourhood!" is the whine of some who totally miss the point.
Let's get something straight! You won't have your video or licence plate posted unless you have a curb-side chat and actually drive away with a known prostitute. Some community groups go further, noting the plates of cars that repeatedly circle the area, slowing each time they pass a woman.
Pardon me, but if you decide to walk down the middle of Ellice Avenue picking your nose, do you have a right to lodge a privacy complaint against the people who happen to notice?
Last month, I got a call from the residents of one of our homes about a john getting serviced in their driveway -- in plain view of kids and adults. They opened their doors and started yelling at the guy. It appeared he didn't care. The "john" and the "jane" continued in plain sight of the residents.
The police had been called, but everyone knew that by the time they arrived the exhibitionists would be long gone. We talked about what could be done to prevent future similar violations of private property.
I counselled the residents to keep a cheap camera handy. Next time someone's getting serviced in one of our driveways, we'll snap a picture and post it on the Internet.
We won't block out the face or the plate on the car.
Rev. Harry Lehotsky
514 Maryland Street
Winnipeg, Mb R3G 1M5
(204) 775-4929
lehotsky@escape.ca