Columbus police are hoping to find a community partner to help get a program off the ground that may help reduce the number of people willing to purchase sex.
Det. Ken Lawson, a 34-year veteran of the police department who has worked the last two years for the Police and Community Together team (PACT), spoke to the Franklinton Area Neighbors meeting last week to lay out the police division’s goal for a holistic approach to curtailing the number of people looking to buy sex in Columbus.
Lawson and others on the PACT unit are hoping to find a community partner to help implement an intensive program to supplement “John School.” Designed in Texas by a therapist, the proposed program involves a 250-page workbook and a recommended 12-week group therapy program to help those who are purchasing sex discover why they do so. Advocates say it also could help those involved repair relationships they may have impacted, including those with spouses, partners and children.
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“We hope it impacts families, lessens the demands on the streets and lessens impact on the community,” Lawson said.
He said the therapy would not replace “John School,” an education program to help provide information to people who have bought sex about the impact their actions have on the perpetuation of a cycle of human trafficking. Rather, the therapy would supplement it.
“We’re looking at who could benefit from more education,” he said. “We’re elevating our response to those who need it.”
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The largest obstacle to getting a new program off the ground is finding a therapist who is qualified and willing to take on the challenge, as well as a community partner who is willing to help facilitate the program.
The cost of the program and a timeline for starting once a community partner is on board is unknown because of the uncertainty of finding a therapist, Lawson said. There have been discussions of using grants and other community funding to help pay for the program for those who are deemed indigent, or unable to pay, by a court. However, those who are able to pay for themselves may be asked to do so as part of their court costs.
Lawson said the division has supported the efforts to find a community partner for the new program, and the hope is that a community partner will see the need and step forward to help police get it off the ground and running.
“I want the buyers to understand that we think there’s things we can do to get them out of this,” Lawson said. “Some don’t want to stop, but therapists you talk to say many of them do but don’t know how. And for the spouses and partners, we want to validate what they’re going through. We know you’re hurting.”
The program would also aim to help families, including children, who are impacted by the trauma of having a family member charged with soliciting sex and undergoing the legal process, as well as the strain on a family unit.
“For those who are not aware and not consenting to this type of activity (in their relationship), about 80% were experiencing PTSD-level symptoms,” Lawson said.
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In September 2021, Columbus City Council approved an ordinance that increased the financial penalties for johns with money from those fines going to a fund that is used to support shelters, medical treatment and counseling services for human trafficking victims.
Lawson said the PACT team has charged between 300 and 400 johns in the last two years, with a focus on addressing the demand part of the equation, as well as trying to provide services and outlets for women to leave prostitution.
“We’re trying to think holistically on this,” Lawson said.
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Franklinton Area Neighbors sought out Lawson to speak at their meeting last Wednesday because their area, particularly the Sullivant Avenue corridor, have been prone to higher levels of prostitution and human trafficking than other areas of the city.
Lawson said he and others have spoken with survivors of human trafficking who say they are encouraged by the potential new approach to dealing with buyers.
“If COVID taught us anything, it’s that if you take away the customers, the business suffers,” Lawson said. “Our overall goal is demand reduction and we want to come at it from all angles.”
bbruner@dispatch.com
@bethany_bruner