Video by Hans, blog post by John Hoff
"Hawthorne Hans," a regular contributor to this blog, recently made a short YouTube video of (suspected) hookers on Penn Ave. N. The (suspected) hookers are 13 seconds in, standing in front of a Linda Higgins For State Senate sign, trying to flag down Hans as he rolls past. One of the (suspected) hookers is the "defacating (suspected) hooker" who was just recently photographed taking a dump in the yard of a vacant rental property, an incident highlighted on the "Irving Inquisition" blog, click here.
There was a bitterly amusing anecdote associated with that incident, by the way. I'm told the hooker said, "Hey, you can't take my picture" and the resident taking the photo replied, "Well, you can't take a crap here, so we're even."
Currently, there are plans being aired for a "hooker drop in center" to be located on...
...the 2100 block of Emerson Ave. N., which used to be a very busy corner for prostitution, but hasn't been "grand central hooker station" for about a year since police cleaned it up. Instead--as shown in this video--the hookers hang out on Penn Ave. N. between 26th and 30th, and tend to stay at the bus stops, acting like they're waiting for a bus.
This video--in which the hookers try to flag down Hans as he rolls past--highlights another aspect of our neighborhood which needs to be highlighted. Residents have a different view from their windshields than the police. The drug dealers and hookers act differently in front of us, they do things in plain view they wouldn't do in front of a squad car or even an unmarked police car. (It's really not THAT hard to pick out the unmarked police cars)
This is the nasty crap we see on Penn Ave. N. every day, sometimes with small children in our vehicles as we beg, plead, shout for sting operations, for police to crack down on the (suspected) Penn Ave. N. hookers. Increasingly, however, it appears residents will be forced to handle the problem themselves with video cameras. As revealing as this short video might be, videos of suspected johns will be even MORE revealing.
There was a bitterly amusing anecdote associated with that incident, by the way. I'm told the hooker said, "Hey, you can't take my picture" and the resident taking the photo replied, "Well, you can't take a crap here, so we're even."
Currently, there are plans being aired for a "hooker drop in center" to be located on...
...the 2100 block of Emerson Ave. N., which used to be a very busy corner for prostitution, but hasn't been "grand central hooker station" for about a year since police cleaned it up. Instead--as shown in this video--the hookers hang out on Penn Ave. N. between 26th and 30th, and tend to stay at the bus stops, acting like they're waiting for a bus.
This video--in which the hookers try to flag down Hans as he rolls past--highlights another aspect of our neighborhood which needs to be highlighted. Residents have a different view from their windshields than the police. The drug dealers and hookers act differently in front of us, they do things in plain view they wouldn't do in front of a squad car or even an unmarked police car. (It's really not THAT hard to pick out the unmarked police cars)
This is the nasty crap we see on Penn Ave. N. every day, sometimes with small children in our vehicles as we beg, plead, shout for sting operations, for police to crack down on the (suspected) Penn Ave. N. hookers. Increasingly, however, it appears residents will be forced to handle the problem themselves with video cameras. As revealing as this short video might be, videos of suspected johns will be even MORE revealing.
21 comments:
Lets cater to these poor lasses because they want to sell their asses.Oh you poor souls with tomato can holes.Boat can't help himself.I worry that peoples naivete will eventually dissolve and re-emerge as common sense which isn't common at all.Most of these "Business Ladies" are self employed and have no pimps.Hard to believe,huh?Lets open up a center and put someone from Shitcago in charge.They can all have a place to share some hot coke-o in the time when"The Moon Freezes The Balls" and business is slow.I officially apologize to myNative brothers and sisters for making light of the Moon.Anyhow, while we are at it lets open a center for mentally retarded pedophiles and install Pervert Pete as chairman of the damn thing.He can gurgle the minutes while drooling on himself.How much money for this"Drop-inCenter? Will it be self funded with proceeds from each "TRICK"(that's a shoutout to paTRICK).I believe folks need to wake up and realize this Shitcago mentality is degenerative and is nothing but a shell game being thrust upon our city and it will destroy us if we do not call these assholes on their lame shit ridden ideas.Poor Prostitutes My ASS!
There is a certain niche of client who would actually prefer a defacating hooker. I hope this exposure improves her business.
You make a good point Boat. The users of this facility should have to pay some money to use it. Perhaps there could be a cost sharing agreement with JACC and users could pay according to their needs.
Also, how do you know so much about the employment situation of these ladies of the night?
Johnny. I wish you could take a few moments and try and meet with Dr. Lauren Martin who is working on the Northside Women's Space. You should talk to her about her many many conversations with women on the street. Maybe you could learn that there might be better ways to discuss this issue rather than always talking about "hookers". It's more complicated than your numerous posts show. Stop taking the simplistic views around revitalization with your "displacement" theory. Let's just get everyone i don't like out of here, then it will be all good in my hood. Come on man, we can work harder than that to make North Minneapolis a great place to live. These women are being trafficked. At some levels, some of these women are experiencing a form of torture. We can sit around playing armchair sociologist judging everyone's problems as their own fault, but again that's just a too simplistic view of the world. I wish you could agree to spend some time getting to know about the issue of prostitution more in North Minneapolis, understand the intricacies and get to know some of the stories, before you cast judgment. Part of me would even wonder if you've ever solicited a prostitute in your sordid past? Or been to a strip club? Or in some other way demeaned women through your words, actions or beliefs. Take a look in the mirror man. Try showing some compassion.
Really? Does North side need a designated Hooker Haven? How about instead we just establish and maintain higher expectations for the people in our neighborhood and ourselves? Why do grown adults need help to figure out they need to put down the crack pipe (or better yet, not pick it up in the first place) and act responsibly and in a way that might actually contribute positively to the world around them? This hooker house plan is insulting to everybody here. It tells the people in North and anybody looking in from outside that we hold such low standards for our citizens that we need special programs to assist our citizens -who can’t possibly be expected to be decent people without help from others.
I’m not one to begrudge help to people who need it, but this just seems like enabling, and worse yet, it’s one more reason why North will have a hard time shaking its bad reputation for being stocked full of losers, assholes, and douche bags. Walk along West Broadway and you can still see remnants of the sidewalk “art” that consisted of spray paint stenciled messages about the high rate of HIV and AIDs in North Minneapolis (though some have told me that the statistics they used were actually really flawed), so we’ve got people getting sick and dying around here from AIDs, but by all means, the poor, sweet hookers should have a safe haven close by, because heaven forbid we lose our standing as the area of Minneapolis with the most explosive rate of new AIDS and HIV cases.
For sure, prostitutes are folks who are deeply troubled, but they’re also adults who need to get their shit together and handle their own problems, moreover, they are a public health hazard. If they really wanted to turn their lives around, don’t you think all the risks involved in their profession would be motivation enough for them to do so?
Opposing this idea is not refusing to acknowledge a problem, but rather refusing to accept it as a way of life around here. We all know prostitution is horrible and in most cases downright gross –that’s why it’s illegal to begin with. Coddling hookers is the last thing we should do. Get them the hell out of NOMI –I mean it, trespass them from the entire geographical region where they are caught in the act, anybody who literally or figuratively wipes their ass with our neighborhood shouldn’t be allowed to be here.
The "hooker haven" would reportedly be located inside the Kwanzaa church at the 2100 block of Emerson Ave. N.
I'm busy doing father-son time, but ya'll can feel free to take this info and DISCUSS.
To be honest, I've never lusted after a female prostitute or a female in any manner whatsoever, in my entire life.
Men on the other hand...
Heck, to be completely honest, I wish there was a convenient male brothel in NoMi. But, the state of the law won't allow such a thing. And if that's the case what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Get these back yard poopin', crack head smokin' hookers of the streets. MPD should be doing lots of undercover sting. They should also be doing near constant patrols.
They should get their hottest cop. And then dress her up in the sluttiest way. She can even show people her genitals without entrapping them.
She should then try to get people to proposition her. Even subtle things like foot tapping can constitute sufficient proof for a conviction.
The people who get caught should be publicly humiliated on this blog and elsewhere. Heck, let's put big billboards of them up on Penn Ave or Broadway.
Their sentences should also involve lengthy jail or work house stints. Only through extremely aggressive enforcement will we get a handle on this problem of female hookers.
That will really make NoMi a better place to live.
I, too, am mystified as to why Kwanzaa failed to come to the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council to discuss the proposed hooker drop-in center. Kwanzaa knew enough to come to HNC seeking support for their community garden, so it's not like they got confused about the neighborhood boundaries.
(For the record, a controversial subject like this SHOULD go to both HNC and JACC when the property is on the border of the neighborhoods. I'd say they ought to go to NRRC too, since that community is only a block away.)
I firmly oppose a hooker drop-in center for pretty much the same reasons already expressed here. I realize this may be a shortcoming of mine, but I frankly have less empathy for these women, their pimps, and their customers than I do for my own community.
If Kwanzaa wants to convince me otherwise, here is my criteria:
1. Show me that such a center is necessary for the population they serve.
2. Show me that such a center is NOT detrimental to the area in which it is located (i.e. no measurable increase of prostitution/drug activity on that block or other already existing "decency dead zones" as a result of such a center).
3. Show me WHY such a center would be MORE helpful on 2100 Emerson vs. areas I would find more preferable (like "all the way downtown").
4. Show me that the staff at the hooker drop-in center will be qualified to actually be helpful to the prostitutes and (more importantly to me) the already-law-abiding citizens of Hawthorne, Jordan, and NoMi.
EVEN THEN, I make no guarantees that I will be swayed.
Patricia, i don't cut corners;i grew up in North Minneapolis and have been around a bit in my time,i know alot of these women are self-employed because i grew up with members of their families and i know a hell of a lot of people.Your subtle hint and cute remark inquiring how i know so much or why i do is fucking lame.I can presume too.I presume you are a fucking idiot with out a clue to the real world except what you see out your window to the world that i hope Reitman installed.Do not let these Shitcago based fools connive into believing that this type of manure flies and works because if that shitty city is supposed to be a shining example of how to do things then we are all fucked royally.Patricia keep your naive comments confined to your know nothing world and you would have been better off stopping at them donating for their own SHIT.WORRY ABOUT YOUR OWN YARDS AND THOSE OF US BEHIND THE SCENES WILL CONTINUE TO HELP THIS COMMUNITY BY KEEPING AN EYE ON THESE SORRY DERELICTS.BOAT SAYS RAISE HELL AND KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!!!!!
Hawthornites, no worries - Kwanzaa and Vince Thomas will be approaching your organization. The truth is they aren't/weren't even ready to start their campaign for support and awareness, when Vince presented at the JACC board meeting he stated it was his third day on the job for Kwanzaa and he was actually approached and invited to the JACC meeting by one of the board members who has a personal connection with him. And he really wasn't there looking/asking for support, he was just there to talk about what is going on, I didn't get the sense they are "asking" permission but more like "this is what we are doing". Not sure if that is accurate but that is my assessment.
So don't feel slighted, they will be contacting your organization when the time is right.
Hawkmans comments show what is wrong with our neighborhood orgs, they tend to get a power buzz and think they are the end all, be all voice for the neighborhood. Guess what, people and businesses can do things without the organizations blessings. It is really when development wants some neighborhood money or some special treatment (variances) from the city that they have to kowtow to the neighborhood org. But Hawkman, good to know you are so full of yourself.
Bottom line. In a neighborhood where you are trying to get rid of an activity. You will only increase or embed the activity when you install infrastructure meant to support it. A good example of this is the day labor centers. Regardless of your opinion on the day labor/immigration issue in areas where these centers are installed to "organize" the laborers they beome defacto zones where "customers" go to hire the workers. This is what happens for ANY illegal activity that you seek to support by providing infrastructure to make the "work" easier for the workers and customers.
Anon 10:51,
Those were my own personal opinions and residents of Hawthorne, Jordan, or Near North neighborhoods are encouraged to weigh in here, contact Kwanzaa, or attend neighborhood group meetings to express their own - especially if they're different from mine.
Ultimately, it will be the boards of the various orgs that make such decisions anyway.
In terms of neighborhood orgs being full of themselves, I certainly understand that neighborhood boards and committees are not always representative of the broader community. (Hawthorne's board, although rather diverse, contains no Hmong residents and a vastly disproportionate number of owners over renters, for instance.)
It would be great if we could claim something close to equal representation across many demographics. But even as we work towards that goal, the neighborhood organizations are really the best avenue for such community forums. If you've got other suggestions, I'm open to them though.
And really, it's not so unreasonable for a neighborhood group to expect potentially contentious items like this one to be brought before the community in which they are being proposed.
To add to what Jeff said:
Show me....
Don't just give a good impassioned speech about how this center will help hookers and make the neighborhood a better place for everyone.
Show me with statistics and facts and figures how other hooker centers in other neighborhoods have impacted the quality of life of everyone in that neighborhood. You know dammed well this isn't a new idea and has probably been tried a ton of places. Give me those facts.
Let's also make sure to invite the 4th Precinct to this meeting. I would love to hear their take on this proposal - how they believe such a center will impact the immediate neighborhood.
Those appear to be DFL activists hanging by their lawn signs. What is your beef with the DFL? They are awesome!
Is this the Kwanzaa church by Hawthorn (sic) Crossings? If so, putting a drop in center at this location will likely result in more prostitution in the mall parking lot. I use the US Bank location there, but I will rethink it as I already consider my safety in that area questionable.
I am sure the fellow proposing this center has good intentions. However, I would prefer it if he met with the hookers on the street where they work and talk to them in that environment. It would have the effect of disrupting their work, offering them options to get off the street, and avoid disrupting another fragile neighborhood.
Johnny,
Remind me how to show you how to resize videos for your blog so that the whole screen is available. Just a minor thing.
Jacob
I agree with Hawkman - There definitely needs to be more specific information about what this Prostitute Drop-in Center program involves and how it will impact the community.
I personally can not believe that it has the support of property owners in Jordan and Hawthorne or that a 20 minute presentation to JACC should be the basis for creating an experimental social program that may set back many of the gains these communities have made the last several years.
As for the public art issue - I agree with Hans 100%.
Most of the "Art" I see screams "We are a community in turmoil, we can not get along,this is not a safe atmosphere, you don't want to live here, don't stay too long".
This includes the sign on the 26th Avenue Public Gardens and the ridiculous planters on Broadway - Particularly the one that has "Aunt Jamima" feeding a newborn with a Gas pump.
This stream of ignorant, hateful blatherings makes me question "what the hell do you think you know about the Northside Women's Space?" Where are you puritanical, gentrific haters getting your information on this topic?
The NSWS project is in the process of being thoughtfully developed by REAL Northside community members, under the leadership of 2 highly intelligent and capable WOMEN who have done extensive research and communication with those they are seeking to help. Furthermore, the construction of this safe-haven for despairing women (who actually want to make a lifestyle change!) is being undertaken almost entirely by community volunteers who believe in redemption and new beginnings.
HAWTHORNE HAWKMAN... some answers for you to digest. I am not associated with Kwanzaa, but I've apparently been better informed than you on the topic, so listen up.
"1. Show me that such a center is necessary for the population they serve."
A: The Space is the outcome of thorough studies and surveying of sex-workers in the community. A practical response to the plea of women who are trying to make changes. How will this space be different from all the others? It WON'T be run by judgmental men (ahem) who think they know what these women need.
"2. Show me that such a center is NOT detrimental to the area in which it is located (i.e. no measurable increase of prostitution/drug activity on that block or other already existing "decency dead zones" as a result of such a center)."
A: Do you live in N Mpls? Perhaps you moved in the past 2 years as foreclosures made it convenient for you to "invest" in some cheap flippers, therefore you haven't realized that THERE"S ALREADY A PROBLEM on that block. The Space is another attempt at a solution. What's your solution...? Shuffle all the riff raff into Brooklyn Park so you can have a peaceful yuppy neighborhood?
"3. Show me WHY such a center would be MORE helpful on 2100 Emerson vs. areas I would find more preferable (like "all the way downtown")."
A: Once again- do you actually LIVE in N Mpls?! Prostitution in the area is a problem that needs addressing!! And what makes your entitled- ass think that YOUR preferences should trump the LONG-term bettering of an entire community?
"4. Show me that the staff at the hooker drop-in center will be qualified to actually be helpful to the prostitutes and (more importantly to me) the already-law-abiding citizens of Hawthorne, Jordan, and NoMi."
A: You know what the biggest qualifier in a successful, helpful relationship is? A genuine care for the vitality of your community. A willingness to reach beyond your own "law-abiding-citizen" comfort zone to strive for lasting change. That's a goddamn pretty good start anyways.
* and to Mr. Johnny Northside... you seem like a guy with good intentions. I encourage you to drop in at Kwanzaa and actually meet the extraordinary women who are planning the center. Some accurate, non-alarmist insights might help your cause. That and venturing to actually get to know your neighbors ...
LOVE
Princess Sheniquah Northside
Hey, ChiTown Sheniqua,tell all of your homegirls to take you along with themselves back to that piece of shit city you're from and pack all of your twisted bullcrap logic with you and find some REAL fucking fools to try it on because your sorry ass stinks.Yuppy? You mean White,you racist b'yotch.
And now it's official: they will be stripping the history of this building away in pursuit of funding. Oh, they're saying it's because the prostitutes feel "judged" when they're in a church. But come on, from day one they openly admitted to not having enough money to make this harebrained idea work.
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