Red light for human traffic

About two dozen concerned citizens gathered at Temple Gates of Prayer in Flushing recently to try and stop traffic - not cars - but the trafficking of women.
The meeting on Monday, October 27, was organized by the local branch of the National Council of Jewish Women(NCJW). It brought community relations officers from the 109th Precinct, a representative from the Anti-Trafficking Task Force and Assistant District Attorney Tony Communiello from the Queens DA’s office, to the temple, located at 38-20 Parsons Boulevard.
In response to increased complaints about quality-of-life issues related to a growing sex industry in Flushing, the law enforcement representatives made their presentations and answered the questions from the group of mostly senior citizens.
Some of the complaints stem not from the prostitutes, but behavior of their “johns” as customers are called.
Tenants complained of finding strange men loitering inside their apartment buildings at all hours of the night, as well as the noise from in and around apartments serving as brothels.
The Detective Kim from the 109 explained that building owners can sign up for the Trespass Affidavit Program. Under this agreement, buildings keep current lists of persons authorized to be in the building.
Unauthorized persons can be arrested for Criminal Trespass, without specific complaint from management. Warning signs about the program often suffice to get brothel operators to move out, according to cops.
Communiello made a presentation about efforts to combat prostitution, the state of the law on the subject and common misconceptions. He told an astounded audience that the average age-of-entry into prostitution had dropped in recent years from 16 to 13 years.
The audience was equally shocked to hear that Department of Justice estimates place the number of women being trafficked in prostitution is 600,000 to 800,000 nationally - between 6,000 and 15,000 in New York City.
In his presentation, the Assistant DA cited an operation in Long Island City which netted prosecutions and prison sentences for 10 pimps, and cleared their streetwalkers from the neighborhood.
He also explained that proposed “safe harbor” legislation (which would de-criminalize prostitution for minors rather than help by treating child prostitutes as victims instead of lawbreakers) would worsen the problem by making it safe for pimps to recruit minors into prostitution.
Further, he explained, many illegal immigrants are victimized by the traffickers who smuggled them into the country, first in jobs in restaurants and nail salons. When legitimate work doesn’t bring them enough “fast money” to pay - off their passage, they get “sold off” into prostitution.
The key, it was explained, is that “Most investigative leads come from the community and these victims of human trafficking. Better information equals better arrests.”
Telltale signs of illicit activity, like unusual traffic at an apartment, or “seeing vanloads of women going to or coming from storefront or residence” can be reported to crime prevention officers who are assigned to every precinct.
In the 109th, Police Officer Anthony Lo Verme focuses on Crime Prevention, Detective Kim said. Quality-of-life complaints can also be called in to 3-1-1.
According to Aleene Barash, state public affairs chair for NCJW, the organization is fighting human trafficking as another form of violence against women, and will also continue to support efforts like the “Asian Womens Project” and “Safe Horizons” to help get women out of prostitution.