QUEENS (PIX11) -- We are now almost a month into "Operation Restore Roosevelt", the 90-day law enforcement crackdown is focusing on complaints about brothels, sex trafficking, unlicensed vendors, and other quality-of-life concerns. The area of concern is Roosevelt Avenue between 74th Street to 111th Street.
PIX11 News asked the NYPD for an update on how many people have been arrested and for which crimes, but an NYPD spokesperson said in an email "We will not be providing any results until the conclusion of the operation."
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry did take PIX11 News along as officers walked Roosevelt Avenue on November 7th. "Look how clear it is," said Daughtry. "Any time of the day you came here a couple of weeks ago, you would see this place just jammed packed with just, prostitutes. That is gone, and that is a result of these officers here and the multi-agency task force."
Advocates for sex trafficking victims have been involved in some of the raids along Roosevelt Avenue. Mitha Choudhury, the program director for EMPOWER New York tells PIX11 News that she and others were on site to offer resources to the women who were picked up by police in the sweeps. Choudhury says not every victim accepts help the first time, adding "Every person's journey out of exploitation is different. "
Mitha spearheads communications for New Yorkers for the Equality Model. That is a coalition of survivors and anti-trafficking organizations dedicated to passing a bill in New York State that would decriminalize prostitution for people selling sex but hold accountable those who purchase it and exploit the victims.
There has also been legislation introduced in Albany that would fully decriminalize prostitution for all consenting adults.
Melanie Thompson, a sex trafficking survivor who now works for the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, says that to support that bill, you must believe that people engaging in sex for money truly have a choice.
Thompson, who was abducted at the age of 12 on a Queens street, tells PIX11 News, "You have to have true privilege and true plethora of resources to be able to make a decision where you can choose to engage in prostitution. The majority of us end up in prostitution because of a lack of resources and a lack of choice. I always say you can't make a choice if you don't have choices.
Sonia Ossorio, the Executive Director of the National Organization for Women in NYC says full decriminalization of prostitution will cause more harm than good. Ossorio tells PIX11 News "Prostitution is not the oldest profession, its the oldest oppression. Buying sex is a harmful cultural practice and it can change. My goodness, smoking is now stigmatized and you can't do it anywhere."
If you know of someone who is being trafficked and needs help escaping, contact authorities or visit the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women of Sanctuary for Families.
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