Another one for the "Only in Hartford "file.
On Tuesday March 18, 2010 Hartford Police conducted a reverse prostitution sting in the South Green-Wethersfield Ave-Colt's Park area. The operation was conducted during the early afternoon in daylight hours due to complaints regarding increased prostitution activity in the Colt's Park area.
Ten men were arrested on charges including patronizing a prostitute as well as other motor vehicle and drug related charges.
To read the Hartford Courant's coverage, click here
One of the individuals arrested was Luis Colon, 62, a resident of Windsor.
Mr. Colon is also a longtime "community organizer", having previously been the director of the New Britain Avenue Merchant's Association, he has also been employed by the "CEDF" Connecticut Community Economic Development Fund.
The interesting part though is that at the time of his arrest, Colon is working for "SAMA", the Spanish American Merchants Association as a consultant. Colon's salary is apparently being paid through a grant from the "MDC", the Metropolitan District Commission as part of the Clean Water's Project. A receptionist at SAMA confirmed in a phone conversation that Colon is in fact working for SAMA as a consultant.
An MDC representative who spoke on the condition of anonymity also confirmed that Colon was employed as a consultant for the Clean Waters Project in conjunction with a grant paid to SAMA. Colon is working out of an MDC Office at 499 Franklin Avenue, only a few blocks from the location where he is accused of attempting to solicit an undercover police officer for sex.
Colon is supposed to be working with neighborhoods to reduce the potential impact of the Clean Waters Project on the quality of life of Hartford residents.
I think that most Hartford residents would feel that prostitution potentially has more of an impact on quality of life issues than the MDC ever could.
On the bright side though,even though the MDC apparently has problems providing jobs to local residents, Colon seems to have no trouble spending his money to support the local economy.....oh yeah, allegedly.
Colon's first court appearance was today. Neither Julio Mendoza, the Executive Director of SAMA nor the MDC have returned calls for comment.
HPD- Luis Colon Arrest Log
As much as I want to share your indignation that a man got arrested for soliciting a prostitute, my ire is reserved for our failure to acknowledge in policy and law that people like to have sex.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, some people like it so much that they are willing to pay for it. If that is how this man wants to spend his money, so be it. His formerly good name is now besmirched because he engaged in a consensual crime with no victims (unless he has a wife who may end up with an STD because of his adventures).
So police sting operations like this serve to destroy reputations, chase the prostitutes out of one neighborhood into another neighborhood, and fill courts and jails. This waste of resources does nothing to stop the spread of STDs.
I don't want prostitutes in my neighborhood any more than the next guy. But calling the police on prostitutes has proved useless, because they have always existed, and will always exist.
After 5,000 years of western civilization, at what point do we decide to provide safe, clean working environments for women who make their living in "the oldest profession"?
It is pure mysogynistic prejudice that informs policies which criminalize prostitution. If we legalized it and cordoned it off into a safe, secure area in the city (the way we do with strip joints), our streets would be cleaner and safer for it. And the women who work in the sex trade would be better off for it.
I have no interest in shaming this man. I am sorry for the entire city that it happened.
Ken I couldn't agree more. This is another example of the government trying to legislating morals and control people where control isn't needed.
ReplyDeleteMaking some things illegal will just move the activity into the shadows and black market where it can't be regulated and people are more likely to get hurt or even killed.
This is the same problem with the "war" on drugs, which is also a giant joke.
WHAT ABOUT THE PROSTITUTES IN CITY HALL?
ReplyDeleteNot surprised that after a good start about having a discussion on the overriding issue in the blog posting, we have someone trying to bring back the discussion to its base; "WHAT ABOUT THE PROSTITUTES IN CITY HALL?"
ReplyDeleteI may in some ways agree with the first two posts, but with that being said, we are still a nation of laws.
ReplyDeleteWe can't pick and choose which laws we decide to obey and which we think are nonsense. If laws on the books are outdated or make no sense, there is a mechanism to change them through our legislators, if they are listening.
Many of our laws are far from useful. As an example, how many people carrying guns in Hartford worry about not having a proper permit as required by law. I would venture to say very few.
Marijuana and other drug laws, gun laws, assisted suicide, liquor laws, the list can go on and on of laws not everyone agrees with. But, until the legislature changes them, they are still laws on the books.
And as far as Mr. Colon, this was not late at night in a secluded area or "red light district". His actions took place at 2:45 in the afternoon in a highly populated residential area, an area with several schools in walking distance. I doubt there are any parents that would condone a 62 year old man having sex in a car in broad daylight as their children walk home from school.
Would Mr. Colon condone the same behavior in front of his grandchildren? I hope the answer would be no.
Not likely the act itself would take place there but I do get your point.
ReplyDeleteThe law is the law and according to our often disconnected lawmakers he did something wrong.
Until prostitution is legalized the HPD must respond to citizen complaints. If you are a female living in these neighborhoods, you can't walk down the street day or night without johns pulling their cars over to have a look at you. Some of them can be aggressive. This can be scary, especially for young girls. So it may be a losing battle, but HPD has no choice.
ReplyDeleteAt least we have one business that's not leaving Hartford.
ReplyDelete