Calgary police say the ongoing issue of sex-trade workers in a southeast community will not have a simple resolution.
Forest Lawn residents remain frustrated by the presence of prostitutes in their neighbourhood, where several workers are peddling their wares in close proximity to schools.
Dan Merkel, who lives in the community with his three-year-old son, says the problem has escalated of late.
“It's worse,” says Merkel. “We've got like six of them (prostitutes) and they stand there. We'll tell them ‘Can you guys go away?’, and they’ll just swear at us.”
“I'd just rather not have it in my neighbourhood.”
CPS members are working on solutions to the issue but say the problem is systemic and stretches further than the women working the streets.
“What we find is girls involved in prostitution have some sort of addiction, usually drugs and alcohol,” says Sgt. Shannon Scott. “Often times, they are unstable so we don't want them around schools or the children.”
According to police, prostitution’s connection to substance abuse requires a community wide commitment to rid the neighbourhood of the criminal element.
The prostitution problem in Forest Lawn is becoming a political issue. Ward 10 candidates campaigning door-to-door in the community are being grilled on proposed solutions to the sex-trade problem.
With files from Kevin Green
