Prostitution fight boosted
Cops to enforce law for seizing johns' cars
By NADIA MOHARIB, CALGARY SUN
Giving police the powers to impound cruising johns' cars will ultimately clean up "dirty vermin" who buy and sell flesh on city streets, says a longtime anti-prostitution crusader.
Forest Lawn resident Art Sheeler said he has high hopes the plan will rid communities such as his of "scum" infecting it with their "filth."
Those hopes come on the heels of Alberta Transportation Minister Lyle Oberg's announcement the province plans to enforce a law allowing cops to seize cars from men trying to buy the services of sex-trade workers.
It will likely come into effect this spring or in early summer.
Johns who lose vehicles under the law will have a chance to get them back by going to so-called "john school" to learn about the damage caused by prostitution.
If they don't take the course, the vehicle will go up for sale.
They'll also get their vehicles impounded for weeks or months, and be made to pay for the storage, a penalty Sheeler applauds.
"I relish the day the first BMW is loaded up on the back of one of those trucks," he said yesterday.
"We have got to start clamping down on these dirty vermin and useless slime -- it does not belong in a community."
Ald. Craig Burrows, who sits on the police commission, said the law will not be a cure-all.
"It's not going to end prostitution, but hopefully it will make people stop and think twice about exploiting women, especially younger people," he said.
"If you are going to be a john, you will be held accountable."
Ald. Andre Chabot agrees.
"If you eliminate the demand for that particular type of service we're hoping the supply will dry up," he said.
Sheeler said "it's phenomenal the difference it will make. When you take the john's car away, you take the john away."
Saskatchewan and Manitoba already have similar laws.
