MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee alderman wants to deal with the city's prostitution problem, by targeting the customers.
Alderman Russell Stamper showed us where the rampant crimes are taking place in broad daylight, "We are in the prime area where prostitution is: 27th, 26th, 25th and Lisbon... and we have to stop it," adding, "We're trying to cut the customers off... we're trying to eliminate the demand."
He hopes to do that with a resolution that unanimously passed the City of Milwaukee's Public Safety and Health Committee. It would make the minimum fine for loitering - soliciting a prostitute five times higher. It reads: "This ordinance increases the penalty range for loitering-soliciting prostitutes from $500-$5,000 to $2,500-$5,000."
"I wanted it to be $10,000," said Stamper, "However in consultation with the judge and police department we came up with something that can be legally enforced."
It is an approach that will not fix the problem, but Stamper hopes it will make everyone think twice to protect these women.
"Some of them are human trafficked, some of them are habitual and some of them are just trying to make a living. The one thing we know is they're out here and they need help."
You can read the full text of the legislation here:
Legislation Details (With Text)-2 by TODAY'S TMJ4 on Scribd
