Sex Work Should Be Decriminalized, Mayor Tells Lawmakers

NEW YORK CITY — Sex workers shouldn't be treated as criminals by the NYPD and a broken legal system, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

De Blasio on Tuesday unveiled a spate of police reforms focused on sex workers and victims of gender-based violence.

He urged state lawmakers to decriminalize sex work — an action he said would dovetail with local efforts to provide community-based services for sex workers.

"That means understanding that sex workers are often folks who are subjugated or victims of trafficking, who are people who think they have no other choice," he said. "What we need to help them we need to end the criminalization of sex workers and put all of the focus on enforcement against those who subjugate them."

The proposed reforms come amid a national movement to shift resources away from police and toward community-based programs, as well as an April 1 state deadline to enact criminal justice plans.

De Blasio has repeatedly touted the city's ongoing NYPD reforms, but many City Council members and other advocates have pushed him to go farther.

Under de Blasio's new proposals, the city will:

• formalize a task force on the health and safety needs of sex workers
• review NYPD procedures on identifying and investigating human trafficking
• review and create new partnerships on labor exploitation and labor trafficking
• advance supportive community-based services for sex workers
• expand family violence prevention services, counseling, benefits assistance and case management
• conduct a citywide review to support survivors of gender-based violence and identify services that require engagement with the criminal justice system
• mandate training for NYPD officers to help them better support survivors

City Council Member Helen Rosenthal, who appeared during de Blasio's daily briefing, said he supports any effort to listen to and meet the needs of survivors.

Community-based non-profit organizations have direct contact with survivors, she said.

"It's clear that anything that increases options for survivors is a good thing and it's even better if those options decrease reliance on the criminal justice system," she said.

The announcement arrived as Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz asked court officials to dismiss and seal roughly 700 cases against people charged with loitering for the purpose of prostitution and related charges.

“Instead of prosecuting these defendants, we need to provide a helping hand by connecting them with meaningful services, support options and the necessary tools that will assist them to safely exit the sex trade if that is what they choose to do," she said in a statement.

Update: DA Katz asks the Court to dismiss nearly 700 cases against people charged with loitering for the purpose of prostitution and related charges.

DA Katz also requested that the Court seal the cases to eliminate criminal records.

Release: https://t.co/Li0nGqZUxt pic.twitter.com/TEhPj0oBPH
— Queens DA Katz (@QueensDAKatz) March 16, 2021