Camera scares prostitutes and clients away from residential area
Residents hope camera forces prostitutes back into central Christchurch
Stuff co.nz 12 May 2016
Family First Comment: Here’s a great solution for local areas struggling with residential prostitution “I don’t get my daughter coming into my room at 2am saying she can’t sleep,” says a dad.
“Clients seemed to have been put off by the prospect of being seen on the cameras, he said.”
Good!
For the first time in five years, Matt Bonis has been able to sleep with his window open.
Since 2011, the Christchurch resident and his neighbours have been subjected to prostitutes working outside, and sometimes even inside, their front gates.
They have had to clean up faeces, used condoms and have had prostitutes use their laundry to clean up after themselves. They have been verbally abused by prostitutes and their pimps.
A week ago, a camera was installed on the corner of Manchester and Purchas streets, in St Albans, in a joint initiative by Christchurch City councillor Ali Jones, security camera firm ATF Vision and police.
The impact of the camera’s presence was immediate and allowed Bonis to finally breath a sigh of relief.
“I don’t get my daughter coming into my room at 2am saying she can’t sleep.”
Since that initial response, prostitutes had continued to frequent the corner but their clientele had dropped and it had been much quieter, Bonis said.
Clients seemed to have been put off by the prospect of being seen on the cameras, he said.
READ MORE: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/79871903/Residents-hope-camera-forces-prostitutes-back-into-central-Christchurch?cid=app-iPhone
