And another piece of the puzzle pops into place.
86 men arrested in Phoenix "sex trafficking" sting last month.
1/11/2018 azcentral, 12News and other media report highlights
(Dave notes the "spin" is that anyone going to a massage parlor (or companion) is promoting sex trafficking so part of the "end demand" national campaign which assumes all sex workers are sex trafficking victims.)
Undercover Phoenix police detectives opened a massage parlor and arrested customers who attempted to solicit sexual acts. The ages of those arrested ranged from 22 to 78 years old.
"We're here to talk about the successful police work done," the Phoenix Mayor said. at a news conference.."what we’re doing in Phoenix to combat this cruel crime head on. Human trafficking deprives victims of their freedom, dignity and basic human rights — and we have an obligation to do our part to end it...
City Councilman said "(Sex trafficking) is a disgusting, abhorrent practice. The stories we hear are appalling."
In recent years, activists have successfully redefined prostitution, which had been treated by police as a nuisance, as domestic sex trafficking, an epidemic worthy of government attention.
Groups have provided training to police that teaches them to see the women as victims of predatory men. Most of the women, in the activists’ thinking, are coerced into the sex trade, either actively or through circumstances.
Police departments in Arizona had conducted sting operations using escort ads on websites such as Craigslist and Backpage. Officials said last month's operation in Phoenix was mirrored on efforts in other cities and counties.
"Every arrest counts. Every victim we free from coercion counts, another council member said."
Phoenix police Lt. xxxxxxx, who works with the vice squad, said the operation was designed to catch those who create a demand for sex trafficking. ""This is not a victimless crime," he said. "It affects everyone from the victims to legitimate massage parlors."
Dave notes in Phoenix as well as other cities while there is "real" sex trafficking with real victims - mostly in street work - most are private consenting adults sought by customers vs the "pretend victims" and sensationalizing isolated bad cases with lots of grants and funding pushed by religious groups and those opposing the right of sexwork to private consenting adults. As I have often said that is why the current case before the 9th Circuit challenging the prostitution law is so critical to the future of private consenting adults.
A 1/2018 youtube video on the 9th Circuit case with Maxine who was at my home to meet with Phoenix companions a few years ago is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2OT8_rUf40
-- Modified on 1/11/2018 6:47:59 PM
It occurs to me that from the most cynical point of view, this is really just a money grab by the local government. Not unlike those places where LE can confiscate cars, boats, houses and other assets from un-convicted people (who should be considered innocent until proven guilty!) upon arrest for traffic violations, minor drug issues, etc. These seized assets are then legally auctioned off and the proceeds are given to the government body that stole them. Even if the arrested individual is ultimately acquitted or at least never convicted, they have no recourse to get their property retuned or be compensated for the lost value.
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So, too, do I see the same approach here. Local (and I suppose state) agencies are now arresting citizens under false pretenses and confiscating property. These citizens will now be forced to lose their fortunes on legal fees, fines, lost wages from being fired and/or incarcerated, divorce fees, attempts to rehabilitate ruined reputations and more. These are the same funds that would have gone into building the local economy through commerce with local businesses (i.e.: Providers and their agencies, hotels, etc.).
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From my perspective, the so called "morality" issue of protecting sex traffickers is just a smoke screen used to "justify" the theft of assets from ordinary citizens by the government. It's tyranny, plain and simple and it's what got King George's ass kicked in the founding of the United States.
they'll end up getting sued by the Mafia for infringing on their turf.
Or did the Mafia and the government already merge?
Well the government has been saying they have been "investigating" the mafia for decades.
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What if they have actually been studying the mafia?
I am half Sicilian and I am highly offended to hear your and Fish's denigrating remarks toward the Mafia. The mafia would NEVER stoop this low.
And another piece of the puzzle pops into place.
Probable cause to make an arrest so that gives them a lot of flexibility. In the metro Atlanta area arrests from over one year in an agency have not yet gone to trial. They will eventually be dismissed by the DA. You are right it take a small fortune for the ones arrested to salvage some of their reputation.
Actually, they don't really need "probable cause", at least not at some objective, legal definition of probable cause. .
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Any experienced LE Officer can create enough probable cause by carefully choosing "facts" that "support" his desire to arrest you. He "heard" you say something incriminating (even before reading you your rights), he "heard" something from a witness or informant, he "observed" something suspicious (over $300 in cash in your wallet, you have a map with AMP's marked on it, he caught you lying about anything, it's "too late" for you to be in this neighborhood, etc.). The so-called "cause" may not hold up in court (if you have a decent lawyer) and you may ultimately be released with all charges dropped. But you will still be put into the system and live there for a while, costing you time, money, and reputation.
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Think of how easy it is to get pulled over for a traffic stop. All the LEO has to say is that you ran a yellow, failed to completely stop and a stop sign, weaved over a lane line for a second, and he has probable cause to stop you, detain you and try to question you. Doesn't matter if you entered the intersection during the green, actually did stop, or your "weave" was a lane change with turn signal. If he's hell-bent on issuing you a citation, you will be giving him your autograph on a "notice to appear." Or worse, he may be giving you a property receipt for that new 2018, $165k Audi R8 you'll never see again. (And completely independent of that activity, the local Mayor will be able to send his daughter to Wharton for the next 2 years.)
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Note: I am not saying all this to knock or complain about police in general. The people who serve on LE perform a vital, dangerous and mostly thankless duty to protect all of us, even punters. And the "skills" noted above can be used to truly champion for the cause of good by reducing crime or at least capturing criminals and bringing them swiftly to justice. My LE issue is with the particular mission assigned of reducing or preventing the "crime" of consenting adults from doing whatever they consent to do. Busting people for prostitution is not a Law Enforcement issue. It's a policy issue: namely it's that paying for sex should not be criminalized.
It started in Seattle, and now it's hit Phoenix. Is there anything that can be done to stop this madness?