Around New Haven: Lewis’ war against prostitution persists

Friday, September 5, 2008

With a new round of anti-prostitution stings, incoming New Haven Police Department Chief James Lewis has quickly established his campaign against prostitution as one of the department’s main objectives. Police arrested nine more women charged with prostitution in Fair Haven and Dwight/Kensington neighborhoods Tuesday night as part of Lewis’ new plan. Four weeks in, the NHPD has arrested and charged eight prostitutes and 22 “johns” in undercover stings conducted by the NHPD’s Gun and Violence Unit. City Hall spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said the stings will continue in upcoming months.

None 3 years, 5 months ago

I don't see the point on waging a war on prostitution. Prostitution is a victimless crime. There are also many women, who are not prostitutes, that have more sexual partners than prostitutes.

None 3 years, 5 months ago

Yale has an interesting connection to New Haven prostitutes, a group which seems to be the object of police attention in New Haven these days.

In 1984 "60 Minutes" came to Yale and interviewed then Chief of Immunology at Yale New Haven Hospital, Dr. John Dwyer, about a prostitute and heroin addict who had given birth to a baby with AIDS.(see "Helen" story in 60 Minutes archive with Morley Safer)

This tv segment disseminated to 25 million viewers, threw a Typhoid Mary scare into New Haven and alerted the country that AIDS could be transmitted by women as well as men&#45;&#45;&#45;in other words that AIDS was not a gay disease. Yale&#39;s chaplain at the time even agreed to try to raise funds to pay this prostitute&#39;s rent and grocery bill if she would agree to stay off the streets.

The resulting national debate caused massive publicity about the particulars of safe sex and massive infusion of funds into AIDS research.

Yale Daily News might point out the contribution that this prostitute&#39;s life and death and the life and death of her infant made to informing the world

that AIDS could be transmitted by females as well as males and that safe sex is an important issue for both genders to practice.

 At a time when prostitutes are being bashed by thhe Press it is well to remember the complexity of an issue involving Yale and the oldest profession in ther world.

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Around New Haven: Lewis’ war against prostitution persists