❓ Dr. Woollard asks for the number of prostitutes operating in WA from July 2001 to July 2007. The Minister responds that this data was not collected for statistical purposes and is therefore unavailable.
AnsweredQoN 2862Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(a) July 2001;
(b) July 2002;
(c) July 2003;
(d) July 2004;
(e) July 2005;
(f) July 2006; and
(g) July 2007?
(b) July 2002;
(c) July 2003;
(d) July 2004;
(e) July 2005;
(f) July 2006; and
(g) July 2007?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
22 November 2007
Responded by
Minister for Police and Emergency Services
Response time
29 days
The Minister was not aware of the number of prostitutes operating for the requested dates.
Information gathered by WA Police, during and after the containment policy was not intended to, and does not record how many prostitutes are / were operating at any particular time.
Prior to August 2000 under the containment policy, identity information of brothel owners and prostitutes was actively sought and gathered for intelligence and investigative, not statistical purposes. As such the records do not accurately provide the number of prostitutes operating at any particular time.
Since the containment policy was abandoned, WA Police records concerning brothels, brothel owners and prostitutes significantly deteriorated as resources shifted to other operational priorities.
In January 2004, emanating from the failed Kenworthy prosecution, then Commissioner of Police, Mr Barry Matthews, gave the direct instruction that WA Police would only apply resources to policing brothels, under the provisions of the Criminal Code or the Police Act, "where prostitution is invasive to the Community, through the involvement of juveniles, alcohol, drugs, organised crime and illegal immigrants (including sexual servitude / exploitation)."
Mr Matthews added, "police remain in an ambiguous position over the inadequacies of legislation which prohibit the keeping of premises for the purpose of prostitution and that the Prostitution Control Bill 2003 would have resolved the difficulties for police but it did not progress last year as police had wished."
Post January 2004, information about brothels, brothel owners and prostitutes has continued to deteriorate. Where officers from the WA Police Organised Crime Squad have reason to attend a brothel on inquiries the names of the owner, manager and staff is requested. Once again, however, this information is held for intelligence, not statistical reasons and therefore does not provide accurate figures at any particular time, as sought in these questions.
On 12 May 1999 the "Briefing Note - Prostitution Control Bill 1998" was tabled. It stated "between 1990/91 and 1998, the issues and concerns remain the same. What is different, is that the 1990/91 Report estimated that there were 400-500 people working in prostitution, approximately 200 in brothels and the remainder as escorts or individuals working from home. It is now estimated that over 3000 are involved in prostitution".
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
Information gathered by WA Police, during and after the containment policy was not intended to, and does not record how many prostitutes are / were operating at any particular time.
Prior to August 2000 under the containment policy, identity information of brothel owners and prostitutes was actively sought and gathered for intelligence and investigative, not statistical purposes. As such the records do not accurately provide the number of prostitutes operating at any particular time.
Since the containment policy was abandoned, WA Police records concerning brothels, brothel owners and prostitutes significantly deteriorated as resources shifted to other operational priorities.
In January 2004, emanating from the failed Kenworthy prosecution, then Commissioner of Police, Mr Barry Matthews, gave the direct instruction that WA Police would only apply resources to policing brothels, under the provisions of the Criminal Code or the Police Act, "where prostitution is invasive to the Community, through the involvement of juveniles, alcohol, drugs, organised crime and illegal immigrants (including sexual servitude / exploitation)."
Mr Matthews added, "police remain in an ambiguous position over the inadequacies of legislation which prohibit the keeping of premises for the purpose of prostitution and that the Prostitution Control Bill 2003 would have resolved the difficulties for police but it did not progress last year as police had wished."
Post January 2004, information about brothels, brothel owners and prostitutes has continued to deteriorate. Where officers from the WA Police Organised Crime Squad have reason to attend a brothel on inquiries the names of the owner, manager and staff is requested. Once again, however, this information is held for intelligence, not statistical reasons and therefore does not provide accurate figures at any particular time, as sought in these questions.
On 12 May 1999 the "Briefing Note - Prostitution Control Bill 1998" was tabled. It stated "between 1990/91 and 1998, the issues and concerns remain the same. What is different, is that the 1990/91 Report estimated that there were 400-500 people working in prostitution, approximately 200 in brothels and the remainder as escorts or individuals working from home. It is now estimated that over 3000 are involved in prostitution".
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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