Community discusses ways to curb youth prostitution

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Does prostitution exist in the Aboriginal community? What opportunities can be identified to help police develop innovative new strategies to address prostitution? How can Edmonton-area agencies collaborate in this process? These were just some of the questions asked at the Edmonton Police Commission Task Force on Prostitution meeting held on Feb. 22 at the Baker Centre Building.

"In trying to understand first-hand how prostitution affects the community at large, the task force is meeting with different groups to discuss the issue and how it effects them," said Sharon Bourque, Aboriginal liaison officer of the Diversity Relations Unit for the police.

The meeting attracted representatives from Aboriginal agencies in and around Edmonton and from the Cold Lake and St. Paul regions.

What do we do? How do we stop our Aboriginal people from becoming prostitutes? asked participants.

Many ideas about why Aboriginal youth were choosing prostitution were discussed. Some suggested that poverty, sexual abuse, residential school syndrome, homelessness, family breakup, peer pressure and racism are the causes.

Some suggested the streets should be patrolled by Aboriginal community members, and that parents of Aboriginal prostitutes should be invited to attend the task force meetings. Others suggested that a shelter be provided and that it be run by former prostitutes who have turned their lives around. The shelter should be located away from the downtown core, and have a setting similar to the Poundmakers Lodge concept, or like a women's shelter, other participants said.

According to the Edmonton Police Commission, prostitution is a complex issue that affects the legal, social and health issues of the individual and the community at large.

"In addressing the issue of prostitution, I believe the task force is on the right track with their approach in trying to deal with this very complex issue," said Bourque.

"One of the solutions is to stop sending our Aboriginal people to the inner city area," said Wayne Gorman, a representative of the Red Road Healing Society. "I noticed that whenever an Aboriginal person gets off of the bus, they are automatically told to go and get a room in the inner city area. There should be shelters for Aboriginal kids away from the downtown area who first come to the city, so they won't get involved with people in the hard core area of the city."

More work needs to be done, said Kathy Grieve, co-chair of the task force.

"One of our goals is to hear from as many groups as possible who are affected by this issue. Meeting with the Aboriginal community is a step toward achieving this goal," she said.