TORONTO SUN
May 30, 1996

Tom Godfrey

Pimp ban curbs city flesh trade

A security firm hired by the TTC last January to patrol the bus terminal has banned about 200 pimps and other undesirables who were recruiting naive female runaways into a life of prostitution, security officers said.

John Hamilton, of Intelligarde International Inc., said his officers have a list and pictures of pimps who regularly frequent the terminal.

"We have a list of those banned for recruiting prostitutes," Hamilton said. "A lot of these people have also been banned from other housing projects."

He said the pimps are first given warning notices and then charged with trespassing by police if they return.

"The pimp situation is not as bad as before," Hamilton said. "It has trickled down a bit."

Ashton, who welcomes the action of the security firm, said he has contacted Metro Police for information about the pimp problems at both sites.

Runaways

"I want to see how other cities deal with this problem," said Ashton, an outgoing member of Metro's police services board and co-chairman of the Metro task force on street prostitution.

Ashton has called for mugshots of convicted pimps to be posted at the stations to drive away pimps.

The pimp problems stem from concerns by the task force that at least 10 HIV positive hookers are working the streets of Toronto and are contaminating countless men with wives and girlfriends.

One HIV prostitute was arrested by Metro Police in Parkdale on Tuesday night and charged with soliciting.

The woman, who admitted having HIV, appeared before an Old City Hall court yesterday and was released on condition she stay out of Parkdale.

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