5 ms·

I don't have data on sex work specifically, but in general criminal fines don't come anywhere near paying for the law enforcement and prosecution apparatus requ

I don't have data on sex work specifically, but in general criminal fines don't come anywhere near paying for the law enforcement and prosecution apparatus required to get the conviction or plea.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
If that were the case they wouldn't run speed traps. Letting the hookers go about their business and arresting some fraction of their customers but not a large enough fraction to keep the customers from showing up at all (wouldn't want to deplete the metaphorical fishery) sounds an awful lot like a speed trap. I wish I could not be cynical but there's just too much evil in law enforcement and the social services that deal with vices for me not to take this as a face value good thing. I'm sure they're happy to not be arresting hookers who've done nothing wrong. Beat cops don't like arresting people who've done nothing wrong. But I'd be lying if I didn't think there wasn't someone somewhere in the bureaucracy twirling their mustache while congratulating themselves on finding a way to both increase in revenue policing and satisfy the politically involved people who want progressive policy points. Don't get me wrong, not arresting hookers is a good thing. But all my experience with the parts of government that deal with this sort of thing tells me this happened because the stars happened to align, not because someone with decision making power had an epiphany and decided that hookers shouldn't be arrested.
- Ericson2314 5y ago
  The speed traps is more a small town thing I think? NYPD is politically powerful in a rich place and just has a massive budget. In this case there is dueling advocacy for the so called "swedish model" and full decrim, and by all accounts the lame duck DA is just trying to look good with the boring middle ground before his terms up.
- david38 5y ago
  Speeding and parking tickets are the obvious outliers. Most other things, drug investigations, assault, etc are not earners.
  - ruined 5y ago
    drug "investigations" actually, through civil asset forfeiture of "drug dealer" assets, are very lucrative. the police department in my hometown used to brag about how the city did not spend tax money on any of their vehicles, radios, and a bunch of other equipment.
- newacct583 5y ago
  A misdemeanor ticket can be issued and fully enforced in minutes. The discussion here is about felonies, which require courts, judges, juries, testimony, depositions, and evidence management. That stuff costs a lot of money and employs a bunch of people (some of whom are very well compensated!). The state doesn't make money on criminal law. It just doesn't.

I don't have data on sex work specifically, but in general criminal fines don't come anywhere near paying for the law enforcement and prosecution apparatus required to get the conviction or plea.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago

If that were the case they wouldn't run speed traps. Letting the hookers go about their business and arresting some fraction of their customers but not a large enough fraction to keep the customers from showing up at all (wouldn't want to deplete the metaphorical fishery) sounds an awful lot like a speed trap. I wish I could not be cynical but there's just too much evil in law enforcement and the social services that deal with vices for me not to take this as a face value good thing. I'm sure they're happy to not be arresting hookers who've done nothing wrong. Beat cops don't like arresting people who've done nothing wrong. But I'd be lying if I didn't think there wasn't someone somewhere in the bureaucracy twirling their mustache while congratulating themselves on finding a way to both increase in revenue policing and satisfy the politically involved people who want progressive policy points. Don't get me wrong, not arresting hookers is a good thing. But all my experience with the parts of government that deal with this sort of thing tells me this happened because the stars happened to align, not because someone with decision making power had an epiphany and decided that hookers shouldn't be arrested.

Ericson2314 5y ago
The speed traps is more a small town thing I think? NYPD is politically powerful in a rich place and just has a massive budget. In this case there is dueling advocacy for the so called "swedish model" and full decrim, and by all accounts the lame duck DA is just trying to look good with the boring middle ground before his terms up.
david38 5y ago
Speeding and parking tickets are the obvious outliers. Most other things, drug investigations, assault, etc are not earners.
- ruined 5y ago
  drug "investigations" actually, through civil asset forfeiture of "drug dealer" assets, are very lucrative. the police department in my hometown used to brag about how the city did not spend tax money on any of their vehicles, radios, and a bunch of other equipment.
newacct583 5y ago
A misdemeanor ticket can be issued and fully enforced in minutes. The discussion here is about felonies, which require courts, judges, juries, testimony, depositions, and evidence management. That stuff costs a lot of money and employs a bunch of people (some of whom are very well compensated!). The state doesn't make money on criminal law. It just doesn't.