Aurora crime-fighting bill sparks controversy

Seattle's Public Safety Committee has heard from experts and the public about a newly proposed ordinance designed to curb sex trafficking and gun violence along Seattle's Aurora Avenue. Proposed by City Councilwoman Cathy Moore, the law would create a Prostitution Exclusion Zone (SOAP Zone) between North 85th and North 145th Streets and allow a judge to ban anyone arrested or convicted of a prostitution-related crime from being in the zone.

At Tuesday's meeting, dozens of people spoke both for and against the law.

Supporters of the law say it is a step closer to a safe Aurora

Supporters of the ordinance said the law was a step closer to protecting residents from ongoing violence in the area, including what Seattle police said was a turf war between pimps. In one case, that turf war erupted in gunfire. Police said dozens of shots were fired within seconds, right next to businesses and homes.

“I heard a woman screaming when she was three blocks from my house,” said Fiona Wilson, a 14-year-old who lives near the neighborhood in Aurora and supports the new law. “It's so heartbreaking to think about it because these are girls who could be in high school with me, who I could be friends with, and who are not much older than me.”

“We should not have to be evicted from our neighborhoods in order to live safely,” added Fiona’s mother Heidi, a social worker.

Previous reporting: Surveillance video shows shootout between rival pimps on Aurora

Opponents of the regulation fear that women will be unfairly punished

Opponents said that while something needs to be done, the proposed regulation unfairly penalizes women in particular who work in the sex trade. Many of the speakers said they were sex workers who spoke of their personal experiences of violence at the hands of pimps and running from the police in order to have a clean criminal record when applying for jobs at companies.

“Violence from pimps, predatory men and police brutality will escalate if this bill passes,” said Amber Bergstrom, a volunteer at a nonprofit that advocates for sex workers. “The proposed bill does absolutely nothing to stop or prevent sex trafficking or gun violence.”

Star, who described herself as a sex worker, agreed.

“The implementation of this law will make victims even more afraid to come forward if something happens to them,” she said.

More news: A group of residents is trying to crack down on prostitution along the Aurora, but is it legal?

If passed, the measure will create a new loitering law targeting people who pay for sex. Unlike Seattle's old loitering prostitution law, which was repealed in 2020, the new legislation provides multiple grounds for arresting buyers who contribute to sex trafficking. The law also targets sex traffickers by creating a new crime of loitering for the purposes of prostitution. This crime would be a serious misdemeanor.

Seattle's Public Safety Committee is scheduled to take up the issue again on September 10. If the proposed ordinance is passed by the committee, the full City Council will hold a final vote on the ordinance on September 17.

Luke Duecy is a reporter for KIRO Newsradio.

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