Leaders Look to Tighten Rules Regarding Prostitution

Largo’s laws regarding prostitution are too loose.

Many Largo Police’s Problem Oriented Policing Unit investigations of crimes involving street level prostitution and related acts are unsuccessful, they say.

Investigators need more enforcement measures to close loopholes between state and local rules addressing prostitution and related acts and are asking city leaders to approve the changes at their meeting Tuesday at City Hall, 201 Highland Ave NE.

Street level prostitutes, who previously have been arrested by law enforcement, typically will not talk about the required elements of the crime unless the undercover officer can prove that they are not police.

More often than not, officers assigned to investigate this type of activity are normally unable to convince the suspect that they are not working with law enforcement as they would have to perform some type of inappropriate behavior to do so.

Another problem is that many of the local prostitutes have been previously arrested by the officers and would easily recognize them as members of Largo Police.

So, police are asking for two changes:

One allows officers to make an arrest based on public behavior that is consistent with a verified pattern of solicitation that usually precedes an act of prostitution.

To meet the requirement, the suspect must exhibit a series of at least three listed behaviors in public and they must have been convicted of, or pled no contest to, any offense relating to or involving prostitution or lewdness within two years.

The other change deals with behavior that handcuffed undercover officers in the past.

Police would be able to arrest a suspect that requests or demands the other participant in the public encounter to complete one of eight prohibited acts consistent with lewd behavior including exposing him or herself or fondle or touch the other participant inappropriately.

The changes are similar to ordinances in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Tampa.

If you go:

What: Largo City Commission meeting

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 2

Where: Largo City Hall, 201 Highland Ave NE

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