Puttin’ on the Sting: Women Police Officers' Perspectives on Reverse Prostitution Assignments
| Author | Donna Starr-Gimeno,Mary Dodge,Thomas Williams |
| DOI | 10.1350/ijps.7.2.71.65778 |
| Published date | 01 May 2005 |
| Date | 01 May 2005 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Puttin’ on the sting: women police
officers’ perspectives on reverse
prostitution assignments
Mary Dodge,† Donna Starr-Gimeno‡ and Thomas Williams§
†Corresponding author: University of Colorado at Denver, Graduate School of Public
Affairs, PO Box 173364, Campus Box 142, Denver, CO 80214–3364, USA; tel:
303–556–5987; fax: 303–556–5971; email: Mary.Dodge@cudenver.edu
‡Public Nuisance Abatement Unit, Denver Police Department, 1331 Cherokee Street
Room 504c, Denver, CO 80204, USA; tel: 720–913–6027; fax: 720–913–7032.
§Aurora Police Department, 9940 South Blackbird Circle, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130,
USA; tel: 303–346–7521.
Received 23 March 2004: revised and accepted 23 September 2004.
Mary Dodge holds a PhD in criminology, law and
prostitutes, are becoming a common method in
society from the University of California, Irvine.
some United States cities for controlling the
She received her MA in clinical psychology from
problem of solicitation for prostitution. The role of
the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
policewomen as decoys has received scant atten-
Prior to taking her current post, she taught at
tion by scholars, though critics and traditional
California State University, Los Angeles. She is
feminists view the practice as further evidence of
currently teaching a variety of courses, including
the subjection and degradation of women in law
Juvenile Justice Administration, Nature and Cau-
enforcement. This article presents participant field
ses of Crime, Judicial Administration, White-
observations of how reverse prostitution operations
Collar Crime, Social Deviance, Research
are conducted in Aurora, Colorado Springs, and
Methods, and Women and Crime.
Denver, Colorado and qualitative interview data
Donna Starr-Gimeno is a Lieutenant in the Den-
from 25 female police officers who discuss their
ver Colorado Police Department. She is com-
experiences as prostitution decoys. The findings
mander of the Public Nuisance Abatement Unit
indicate that female officers view the decoy role as
of the PD. The unit conducts investigations into
an exciting opportunity for undercover work,
criminal activity involving real property and vehi-
despite the negative connotations of acting like a
cles, initiates civil proceedings against property
whore. According to the officers who work as
which can result in closure or forfeiture and can
decoys, it adds excitement and variety and offers
include other fines and penalties. The unit also
potential for other opportunities for advancement
works closely with the Denver City Attorney’s
within the police department in contrast to the
Office as well as the Denver District Attorney to
rather mundane duties often associated with
make the community safer.
patrol.
Thomas H. Williams is a sergeant with the
Aurora police department in Colorado
INTRODUCTION
The role of women in policing in the
ABSTRACT
United States has changed dramatically
International Journal of Police
Science and Management,
Reverse police prostitution stings, which target
since Alice Stebbins Wells became the first
Vol. 7 No. 2, 2005, pp. 71–85.
© Vathek Publishing,
men by using female police officers as decoy
female to join the Los Angeles Police
1461–3557
Page 71
Puttin’ on the sting
Department in 1910 (Parsons & Jesilow,
(Kenner, 1998; Sagatun, 1988). Similarly,
2001; Schulz, 1995). Women in law
Nolan (2001) argues that women police
enforcement have evolved from assignments
officers who act as decoy prostitutes are
as secretaries and social workers to commis-
objectified and marginalised by the sexist
sioned police officers, detectives and com-
propensities of male colleagues and further
manders, despite a history of documented
notes that decoy stings regulate women
inequities and discriminatory treatment.
officers to a position of powerlessness and
Differences in deployment and assignment
subjugation. Any conclusions reached about
between genders are slowly diminishing as
the role of women officers as decoys, how-
an increasing number of women have infil-
ever, remain speculative since research that
trated the masculine culture of policing and
explores how they view the assignment is
progressed through the ranks (Heidensohn,
lacking from the literature. This research
1992; Schulz). Women now occupy top
specifically examines the experiences based
positions in many law enforcement agencies
on the voices of women who have worked
and, although still low in number, represent
in decoy assignments.
about 14 per cent of sworn law enforce-
ment officers nationwide. Despite the sub-
stantial inroads that have been made by
REFOCUSING ENFORCEMENT
policewomen in recent decades, participa-
EFFORTS: FROM PROSTITUTES TO
tion in certain assignments remains limited
JOHNS
and marginalisation based on stereotypes
Historically, in order to eradicate prostitu-
continues to be problematic (Balkin, 1988;
tion law enforcement agencies have focused
Brown, 1997, 2000; Dene, 1992;
almost exclusively on the individual women
Heidensohn; Martin, 1990; Young, 1991).
who sell sex. In the past 10 years the
The role of decoy in reverse prostitution
continued demand of sex-for-money and
stings represents the rare case in which
the problems associated with streetwalking
undercover police work necessitates a
women have prompted many police depart-
female officer. This article examines the
ments to alter their tactics from arresting
nature of this unique police work, based on
prostitutes to apprehending their customers,
information provided by women who have
known in the vernacular as ‘johns’. Prostitu-
worked as decoys in undercover prostitution
tion research in the United States rarely
stings. Similar to previous research on
focuses on the men who purchase sex,
women in policing, the exploration of the
unlike ‘kerb-crawling johns’, who have
role of women officers in the current study
received a great deal of attention in England
is presented through personal narratives of
and Wales (eg, Benson & Matthews, 2000;
women who have faced the challenges and
Brooks-Gordon & Gelsthorpe, 2003;
complexities of working in a predominately
Matthews, 1992; McLeod, 1982).
male domain (eg, Dodge & Pogrebin, 2001;
Many police departments, under public
Gold, 1999; Martin, 1994; Parsons &
and political pressure, have found that
Jesilow, 2001).
attempts to reduce the supply of street-
Reverse prostitution sting operations
walkers fail to make an impact on prostitu-
have created a distinctive role for female
tion. These same departments instead have
officers. Some commentators speculate that
chosen to direct scarce resources to the
a male police officer who puts himself in
demand side of illegal sex acts, by arresting,
the position of a ‘john’ or a female officer
shaming and hopefully deterring the cus-
who acts as a prostitute in sting operations is
tomers (Almodovar, 1999). In fact, some
bound to feel degraded and humiliated
scholars maintain that the only redress to
Page 72
Dodge, Starr-Gimeno and Williams
prostitution is to eliminate the customer
in 2001, 2002, and 2003, a total of 300, 296
base by holding men who solicit women
and 176 vehicles respectively were towed,
responsible for their misdeeds (Sagatun,
for investigation of civil charges involving
1988; Scambler & Scambler, 1997).
prostitution under the Denver City Public
In many parts of the United States, cur-
Nuisance Abatement Ordinance (Starr-
rent law enforcement endeavours involve
Gimeno, 2004). More extreme measures
the use of innovative techniques that are
have had little success. Washington, DC
designed to target, deter and humiliate
police seized and sold cars belonging to
johns, although arresting prostitutes gen-
johns under federal drug forfeiture laws
erally remains the primary focus. Numerous
until the courts found the practice uncon-
cities have implemented special approaches
stitutional, based on the proportionality of
to discourage prostitution customers,
the action. The city also abandoned a no-
including driver’s licence revocation, john
right-turn policy that discouraged men in
television, vehicle seizure and warning bill-
cars from cruising around blocks frequented
boards. In one city, officials posted a bill-
by streetwalkers (Reynolds).
board on the outskirts of town that warned
Reverse prostitution stings, sometimes
prostitution customers to stay away, while
referred to as operations, crackdowns, John
other cities have posted billboards that list
stings and roundups, have been conducted
the names of convicted johns (Hubacher,
in many urban areas. In Savannah, Georgia
1998; Pearl, 1987). ‘John TV’ in Denver,
a task force headed by Prostitution Czar,
Colorado (http.//www.denvergov.org/
Juliette Tolbert began using female decoys
johnstv) shows mug shots of men convicted
and within one week 22 men had been
of solicitation of a prostitute on the local
arrested (Pilkington, 1997). The city touted
television channel and on the city’s website.
a conviction rate of 95 per cent for men
Nationwide, ‘John Schools’ have been initi-
apprehended in these stings. Johns found
ated, serving as a deterrent where men
guilty of soliciting were then required to
convicted of solicitation learn about the
pay a $400 fine and their names were
horrors of illicit sex through graphic pre-
released to the news media.
sentations about sexually transmitted dis-
In 1994, Aurora, Colorado received
eases and candid narratives from former
national...
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