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St. John's Mayor Andy Wells says he will contact the chief of police about dealing with prostitution in the capital city's downtown area.
Some downtown residents say street prostitution has been getting worse, with clients becoming more aggressive in how they look for sex.
Resident Anita Carroll, who is raising a family downtown, says the sex trade is making her feel unsafe.
"The car slows down. It may circle a second time, it may circle a third time," she says.
"And then the guy will get aggressive and call, 'Hey, come here,' and that's the kind of thing that's starting to intimidate us."
Wells says he is sympathetic to residents' concerns.
"It's disconcerting," he says.
Wells suggests that residents write down the licence plates of drivers who are looking for prostitutes, and then get in touch with the police.
"If they write down the names, some of the licence numbers of some of the guys that pull up in their vehicles, that would a tremendous asset to the police," says Wells, who adds that collecting evidence related to prostitution is difficult.
He says publicity may change clients' behaviour. "That may discourage these guys from going down there and cruising," he says.
Bill Mahoney, who heads the Downtown Development Commission, agrees that prostitution is an issue for the police.
"It's a problem that all cities face," Mahoney says.
However, while Mahoney says any notion of downtown residents feeling uneasy or uncomfortable is a concern, he has not seen evidence that prostitution is hurting businesses in the area.
Excerpt from CBC Radio, April 27, 2005
