Phoenix police picked up two more young prostitutes Tuesday night in the Maryvale area. Around 8:45 pm, they found a girl working the street on McDowell Rd. near 51st Ave. She told them she had just turned 14, and had been working as a prostitute for about a year since running away from home. She gave detectives enough information that they were able to execute a search warrant at a home near 43rd Ave. and Camelback. Six males, including one juvenile, were taken into custody for questioning.
The girl was turned over to juvenile authorities, rather than being returned to her family. Lt. Bill Schemers says since she was a runaway, police were afraid that if she were taken back home, she might run away again and return to prostitution.
The second girl was picked up about two hours later, near 47th Ave. and McDowell. It turns out she was 16, and had only been working as a prostitute for a few days. She wasn't a runaway, either. Instead, police say, she had met her "pimp" at Metro Center Mall, where he approached her and offered her a job. He asked her to go for a ride with him to talk about the details. After they were in his car, police say, the man threatened the girl and her family if she didn't work for him as a prostitute.
Lt. Schemers says malls are common places for pimps to try to pick up potential prostitutes, especially minors. The men approach the girls and strike up a conversation, then offer "a better life," flash a wad of money, and perhaps suggest that the girls could be models. "In some cases, it's as easy as feeding them – buy them a McDonald's hamburger, and then 'Let's go for a ride and I'll show you what I can do for you.' " Once they're in the car where the girls can't easily escape, the pimp forces or intimidates the girl into prostitution.
Police say the tactic is especially useful during school vacations, such as during the summer, the holidays, and spring break, when teens get bored and end up at the mall for extended periods as something to do. Lt. Schemers says malls aren't babysitters, and aren't as safe as they may appear, especially where minors are concerned.
He suggests girls never be allowed to go to the mall alone. Instead, they should be under adult supervision at all times, or with a group of friends who stick together and look out for each other. Also, he suggests, "Parents need to pay particular attention and be nosy with their kids." That is, know where they are, and who they're with, at all times, and ensure that they're in a safe place.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment