How refreshing to hear that our new police chief is standing up to criticism of his plan to publicly shame prostitutes and johns. In an open letter to the Journal Star (which they didn’t publish in its entirety, interestingly), he responds to criticism of his plan in their recent editorial and from State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons. Lyons’ position is, in part, explained here:

But Lyons said someone in high-profile or sensitive positions, like pastors, teachers, corporate presidents and law-enforcement personnel, would undergo much higher public notoriety than others arrested on prostitution-related charges, which are misdemeanor offenses. That, he said, will lead to “a mad scramble and fevered and horrified effort by the person of profile to contact officials in a ‘Dear God, don’t do this to me,’ manner.”

Yeah. That’s the whole idea behind shaming. Hopefully that kind of fear will keep them from soliciting prostitutes in the first place. I mean, is Lyons implying that we’re supposed to feel sorry for these johns? Or not prosecute those in “high-profile or sensitive positions” because it could be too damaging to their reputations? Responding to this line of reasoning, the police chief has this to say directly to the johns:

“Am I mistaken, or is it your responsibility to protect your wives and your children from this embarrassment?” he said. “You choose to skulk around our neighborhoods and engage in illicit sex acts in your cars, expose yourself to potentially deadly diseases and then carry those diseases back to your homes. Yet somehow the police department is endangering your family?

Exactly. Later he tells them frankly, “You have become a cancer, and we are tired of it.”

Notice how the Journal Star talks almost apologetically about the crime. You can almost hear them saying between the lines, “aw, it’s only a little ‘ol misdemeanor; why do we want to shame people for little ol’ misdemeanors?” Just because this crime is a misdemeanor is no reason to go soft on it. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a misdemeanor, too, and if a pastor or high-profile figure is picked up for a DUI, he or she “would undergo much higher public notoriety,” but the Journal Star has no qualms about printing the names of those arrested for DUIs, nor has Lyons ever complained about the practice.

And yet prostitution is at least as dangerous, as the police chief pointed out. If someone solicits a prostitute and contracts AIDS, then goes home and has sex with his wife and gives her AIDS, he’s just as guilty of reckless homicide in my book as if he’d gotten behind the wheel of a car drunk and run over his wife. Perhaps this is even worse since she’ll have to suffer a slow and painful death. Of course, there are all manner of venereal diseases he could pass along that may not kill her, but make her life miserable anyway.

I like a guy who tells it like it is. Let’s not pussyfoot around, people — prostitution is dangerous and it’s illegal. It does terrible damage to families and neighborhoods. And it’s the police department’s responsibility to enforce the law. Public shaming is a good idea. You’re never going to reduce prostitution by trying to cut down the supply — you have to go after the demand. Fear of public shaming is a powerful tool in reducing demand.

Good work, Chief Settingsgaard!