Police-Prostitute Interactions: Sometimes Discretion, Sometimes Misconduct

Author: Williamson, Celia; Baker, Lynda; Jenkins, Morris & Cluse-Tolar, Terry

Abstract: Laws related to vice are laws in which police officers are given a considerable amount of discretion. Because of police authority and frequent contact with marginalized women involved in prostitution, opportunities to engage in inappropriate behavior are ever present. Data collected from three studies on women in prostitution, from 1998 to 2004, are the focus for this article. Analysis of the data revealed that officers, while involved in duties of law enforcement, behave in a number of ways when interacting with prostitutes, some of which are beyond the appropriate use of police “discretion.” Findings reveal six types of police-prostitute interactions. Implications for radical social work practice are discussed.

Keywords: police, prostitution, women, radical, law enforcement