By Lisa Murphy
Prostitution has hit too close to home for one LeBreton Street resident who recently found three used condoms on her doorstep. The same resident also says she has seen couples performing oral sex in cars in front of a nearby church.
“When they are starting to infiltrate your property and they are doing it right outside your back door it really brings it home,” Kim Trudel said.
Trudel said she has lived on her street for 21 years.
This summer she saw more prostitution than ever.
She is not alone. Many others are fed up with prostitution in the neighbourhood. But instead of pushing the problem into a different community, they want to encourage prostitutes into rehabilitation programs.
At a public meeting organized by Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes to discuss the issue, residents opted for longer-term solutions that address the root causes of prostitution.
Attempts by other communities such as Hintonburg to deal with the prostitution problem have resulted in moving the problem from one neighbourhood to the next.
“I think they have been pushed around long enough,” said Maxine Stata, co-ordinator of a drop-in centre in the area.
“Maybe this can be the community that says we are actually going to do something.”
Holmes said since Hintonburg cleaned up its streets, prostitution and drug use have increased in the Somerset and Gladstone neighbourhood of Centretown.
“We want the police to close our drug houses and move our prostitutes,” said Holmes.
But at the meeting, attended by about 120 people, many indicated they didn’t want to make this someone else’s problem.
“The best way to approach the problem is to help the people in these positions of prostitution,” said Nathan Gordon, a resident of the area.
“It’s not enough to ostracize a certain community and cut them off from society because the problem will just come back and happen to other communities,” he said.
Gordon added he was relieved to know many people are not just trying to look for a short-term solution to push the problem somewhere else.
“I don’t think that is how any problem should be dealt with,” said Gordon. “We need to look at affordable housing, conditions of living and people’s mental health.”
Trudel said she was happy the meeting was held, but was disappointed because no one came with a plan and it seemed like a venting episode.
Peter Harris, a former Somerset city councillor, said Hintonburg spent 10 years trying to rid its streets of prostitution and he does not want to wait that long.
“The issue is getting people off drugs and into rehabilitation programs fast,” Harris said in an interview. He did not attend the meeting.
Sgt. Christopher McGuinness of the Ottawa Police said about 99 per cent of street prostitutes are addicted to drugs and “this is the crux of the problem.”
Stata said many of these prostitutes are at risk of relapsing because there is not enough help available when they come out of rehabilitation.
“There are many great services but too many gaps,” said Stata.
“It is like going up a set of stairs and all of a sudden there is one missing and you fall down.”
She said people need to look at why these prostitutes are on the streets and find ways to help them take control of their lives.
“Sometimes it just depends on who you meet in your life, what your income is or who can talk you into doing things,” said Stata. “It could be any one of us and I think these people deserve a chance.”