Prostitution a 'sustained' problem in Sydney, say police

Police in Cape Breton say merchants in downtown Sydney have complained that the world's oldest profession is being plied in broad daylight in front of their businesses.

Cape Breton Regional Police Chief Peter MacIsaac told the police commission this week that complaints of "suspicious activity" have increased in recent months.

"For the most part, most of the complaints have been coming in around Charlotte Street," he said. "It's not happening every day; it kind of spikes every now and again."

MacIsaac said prostitution used to be a seasonal issue in Sydney, seen mostly at night in the warmer months.

Now, merchants claim prostitutes are out on the street during business hours. They've reported sex workers are standing in the doorways of their shops or beckoning customers from a vacant lot between two commercial buildings.

MacIsaac told the commission he's dealt with prostitution frequently over his 30-year career in policing, but he said the activity over the last year has been more "sustained."

His officers are responding to the complaints, he said, but need evidence they can take to the Crown if they want to prosecute. 

Police commission chair Eldon MacDonald, who represents the downtown district at Cape Breton regional council, said prostitution has increased because of desperate circumstances.

"I think it's just individuals that are finding themselves in a bad way," he told the commission. "Hooked on drugs and trying to support a habit."

MacIsaac said police have a plan to clean up the issue downtown, although he did not provide the commission with details. To date, no customer of a prostitute in Sydney has been charged with breaking the law, he said.

In December, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down laws prohibiting brothels, living on the avails of prostitution and communicating in public with clients.